Which to use
“metes” and “mientes” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,534
- “metes” frequency rank
- #21,406
- “mientes” frequency rank
- 31940
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | metes | mientes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de meter o de meterse. | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de mentir. |
Where the eye mixes metes and mientes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. metes runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against mientes's 7 (CVVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between metes and mientes
A purely visual mix-up. metes ([ˈmet̪es]) and mientes ([ˈmjẽn̪t̪es]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31940, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
metes is recorded at frequency rank #10,534, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmet̪es]. mientes is at rank #21,406, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmjẽn̪t̪es].
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 31940, this pair ranks #204,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of metes vs mientes
Shared letters: emst. Private to "metes": -. Private to "mientes": in.
"metes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "mientes" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "metes" for "mientes" ever safe?
Which is more common, "metes" or "mientes"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "metes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mientes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #204,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "metes" and "mientes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mientes vs minutes". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #204,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.