obtenervsobtienesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“obtener” and “obtienes” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#1,116
“obtener” frequency rank
#20,441
“obtienes” frequency rank
21557
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature obtener obtienes
Definition Conseguir lo que se busca, intenta, desea o merece. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de obtener.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obtener and obtienes apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
obtener
8 ch
obtienes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. obtener ([oβ̞t̪eˈneɾ]) and obtienes ([oβ̞ˈt̪jenes]) 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 21557, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

obtener is recorded at frequency rank #1,116, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞t̪eˈneɾ]. obtienes is at rank #20,441, tagged as averb, pronounced [oβ̞ˈt̪jenes].

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 21557, this pair ranks #254,384 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of obtener vs obtienes

Shared letters: benot. Private to "obtener": r. Private to "obtienes": is.

"obtener" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC  ·  "obtienes" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • obtenerbotener · obbtener · obetner · obteenr · obtenerr · obtenner · obtenre · obtneer
  • obtienesbotienes · obbtienes · obitenes · obteines · obtieens · obtieness · obtiennes · obtiense

Frequency comparison

obtener#1,116
obtienes#20,441

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "obtener" and "obtienes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([oβ̞t̪eˈneɾ] versus [oβ̞ˈt̪jenes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "obtener" or "obtienes"?
"obtener" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,116 in our Spanish list, against #20,441 for "obtienes". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering obtener vs obtienes

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 “obtener” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list