Which to use
“setenta” is a num and “sustenta” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,231
- “setenta” frequency rank
- #20,843
- “sustenta” frequency rank
- 28074
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | setenta | sustenta |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Siete veces diez. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de sustentar. |
Where the eye mixes setenta and sustenta
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. setenta runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against sustenta's 8 (CVCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses setenta with sustenta
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: setenta is [seˈt̪ẽn̪t̪a] while sustenta is [susˈt̪ẽn̪t̪a]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28074, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
setenta is recorded at frequency rank #7,231, classified as anum, pronounced [seˈt̪ẽn̪t̪a]. sustenta is at rank #20,843, tagged as averb, pronounced [susˈt̪ẽn̪t̪a].
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 28074, this pair ranks #223,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of setenta vs sustenta
Shared letters: aenst. Private to "setenta": -. Private to "sustenta": u.
"setenta" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "sustenta" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "setenta" for "sustenta" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "setenta" or "sustenta" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "setenta" and "sustenta" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "setenta" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sustenta" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #223,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "setenta" and "sustenta" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sustenta vs sustentada". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #223,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.