sistemavssistemasConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#220
“sistema” frequency rank
#1,184
“sistemas” frequency rank
1404
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sistema sistemas
Definition Conjunto de reglas, principios, ideas o cosas, que están unidas por un criterio común y tienen una finalidad determinada. Forma del plural de sistema.

Where the eye mixes sistema and sistemas

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. sistema runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against sistemas's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
sistema
8 ch
sistemas

Look-alike desk: sistema vs sistemas

A purely visual mix-up. sistema ([sisˈt̪ema]) and sistemas ([sisˈt̪emas]) 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) - “sistema” sits inside “sistemas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1404, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sistema is recorded at frequency rank #220, classified as anoun, pronounced [sisˈt̪ema]. sistemas is at rank #1,184, tagged as anoun, pronounced [sisˈt̪emas].

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 1404, this pair ranks #322,118 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of sistema vs sistemas

Shared letters: aeimst. Private to "sistema": -. Private to "sistemas": -.

"sistema" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "sistemas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sistema ← cistema · isstema · sisetma · sisstema · sisteam · sistemma · sistmea · sisttema
  • sistemas ← cistemas · isstemas · sisetmas · sisstemas · sisteams · sistemass · sistemmas · sistemsa

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "sistema" for "sistemas" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([sisˈt̪ema] versus [sisˈt̪emas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sistema" or "sistemas"?
"sistema" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #220 in our Spanish list, against #1,184 for "sistemas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Eye-level mix-up between "sistema" and "sistemas" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "sistema" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "sistemas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #322,118 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "sistema" and "sistemas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sistema vs sister". 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 #322,118 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list