Which to use
“retiene” and “retienen” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,578
- “retiene” frequency rank
- #31,965
- “retienen” frequency rank
- 55543
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retiene | retienen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de retener. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de retener. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set retiene and retienen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. retiene ([reˈt̪jene]) and retienen ([reˈt̪jenẽn]) 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 extra letter(s) - “retiene” sits inside “retienen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55543, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retiene is recorded at frequency rank #23,578, classified as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪jene]. retienen is at rank #31,965, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪jenẽn].
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 55543, this pair ranks #78,418 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of retiene vs retienen
Shared letters: einrt. Private to "retiene": -. Private to "retienen": -.
"retiene" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "retienen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "retiene" and "retienen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "retiene" or "retienen"?
Remembering retiene vs retienen
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 “retiene” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable