sentirvssentirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,157
“sentir” frequency rank
#3,810
“sentirse” frequency rank
4967
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sentir sentirse
Definition Percibir por cualquiera de los sentidos, sobre todo por el tacto. Estar en determinada forma o situación.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
sentir
8 ch
sentirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sentir ([sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾ]) and sentirse ([sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse]) 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) - “sentir” sits inside “sentirse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4967, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sentir is recorded at frequency rank #1,157, classified as averb, pronounced [sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾ]. sentirse is at rank #3,810, tagged as averb, pronounced [sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse].

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 4967, this pair ranks #314,804 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of sentir vs sentirse

Shared letters: einrst. Private to "sentir": -. Private to "sentirse": -.

"sentir" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "sentirse" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sentircentir · esntir · senitr · senntir · sentirr · sentri · senttir · setnir
  • sentirsecentirce · esntirse · senitrse · senntirse · sentires · sentirrse · sentirsse · sentisre

Frequency comparison

sentir#1,157
sentirse#3,810

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sentir" and "sentirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾ] versus [sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sentir" or "sentirse"?
"sentir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,157 in our Spanish list, against #3,810 for "sentirse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sentir vs sentirse

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 “sentir” 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