Which to use
“merecen” and “merecían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,940
- “merecen” frequency rank
- #23,864
- “merecían” frequency rank
- 27804
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | merecen | merecían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de merecer o de merecerse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de merecer o de merecerse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set merecen and merecían apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. merecen ([meˈɾesẽn]) and merecían ([meɾeˈsiãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27804, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
merecen is recorded at frequency rank #3,940, classified as averb, pronounced [meˈɾesẽn]. merecían is at rank #23,864, tagged as averb, pronounced [meɾeˈsiãn].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 27804, this pair ranks #225,082 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of merecen vs merecían
Shared letters: cemnr. Private to "merecen": -. Private to "merecían": aí.
"merecen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "merecían" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- merecen ← emrecen · meercen · merceen · mereccen · merecenn · merecne · mereecn · meresen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "merecen" and "merecían" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "merecen" or "merecían"?
Remembering merecen vs merecían
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “merecen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable