Which to use
“retiene” is a verb and “retrete” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,578
- “retiene” frequency rank
- #32,857
- “retrete” frequency rank
- 56435
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retiene | retrete |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de retener. | Recipiente para recoger y evacuar los excrementos humanos hacia la instalación de saneamiento y que (mediante un cierre de sifón de agua limpia) impide la salida de los olores de la alcantarilla hacia los espacios habitados |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set retiene and retrete apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: retiene is [reˈt̪jene] while retrete is [reˈt̪ɾet̪e]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56435, 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]. retrete is at rank #32,857, tagged as anoun, pronounced [reˈt̪ɾet̪e].
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 56435, this pair ranks #74,612 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of retiene vs retrete
Shared letters: ert. Private to "retiene": in. Private to "retrete": -.
"retiene" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "retrete" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "retiene" and "retrete" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "retiene" or "retrete"?
Remembering retiene vs retrete
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “retiene”; for a noun, it's “retrete”.
- 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