resistirvsresistirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,061
“resistir” frequency rank
#22,494
“resistirse” frequency rank
29555
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature resistir resistirse
Definition Padecer un sufrimiento sin dejarse vencer por él. Oponerse con energía a hacer algo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set resistir and resistirse apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
resistir
10 ch
resistirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. resistir ([resisˈt̪iɾ]) and resistirse ([resisˈt̪iɾse]) 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 extra letter(s) - “resistir” sits inside “resistirse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29555, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

resistir is recorded at frequency rank #7,061, classified as averb, pronounced [resisˈt̪iɾ]. resistirse is at rank #22,494, tagged as averb, pronounced [resisˈt̪iɾse].

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 29555, this pair ranks #216,411 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of resistir vs resistirse

Shared letters: eirst. Private to "resistir": -. Private to "resistirse": -.

"resistir" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "resistirse" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • resistirersistir · recistir · reisstir · resisitr · resisstir · resistirr · resistri · resisttir
  • resistirseersistirse · recistirce · reisstirse · resisitrse · resisstirse · resistires · resistirrse · resistirsse

Frequency comparison

resistir#7,061
resistirse#22,494

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "resistir" and "resistirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([resisˈt̪iɾ] versus [resisˈt̪iɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "resistir" or "resistirse"?
"resistir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,061 in our Spanish list, against #22,494 for "resistirse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering resistir vs resistirse

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 “resistir” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list