Which to use
“sorprendí” and “sorprendió” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,833
- “sorprendí” frequency rank
- #6,462
- “sorprendió” frequency rank
- 43295
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sorprendí | sorprendió |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de sorprender o de sorprenderse. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de sorprender o de sorprenderse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sorprendí and sorprendió apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. sorprendí ([soɾpɾẽn̪ˈd̪i]) and sorprendió ([soɾpɾẽn̪ˈd̪jo]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43295, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sorprendí is recorded at frequency rank #36,833, classified as averb, pronounced [soɾpɾẽn̪ˈd̪i]. sorprendió is at rank #6,462, tagged as averb, pronounced [soɾpɾẽn̪ˈd̪jo].
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 43295, this pair ranks #143,464 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sorprendí vs sorprendió
Shared letters: denoprs. Private to "sorprendí": í. Private to "sorprendió": ió.
"sorprendí" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCV · "sorprendió" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sorprendí" and "sorprendió" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sorprendí" or "sorprendió"?
Remembering sorprendí vs sorprendió
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 “sorprendí” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable