subistevssubsisteConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#34,351
“subiste” frequency rank
#37,871
“subsiste” frequency rank
72222
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature subiste subsiste
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de subir o de subirse. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de subsistir.

Where the eye mixes subiste and subsiste

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

7 ch
subiste
8 ch
subsiste

Visual trap between subiste and subsiste

A purely visual mix-up. subiste ([suˈβ̞ist̪e]) and subsiste ([suβ̞ˈsist̪e]) 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 72222, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

subiste is recorded at frequency rank #34,351, classified as averb, pronounced [suˈβ̞ist̪e]. subsiste is at rank #37,871, tagged as averb, pronounced [suβ̞ˈsist̪e].

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 72222, this pair ranks #25,832 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of subiste vs subsiste

Shared letters: beistu. Private to "subiste": -. Private to "subsiste": -.

"subiste" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "subsiste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • subiste ← sbuiste · ssubiste · subbiste · subiset · subisste · subistte · subitse · subsite
  • subsiste ← sbusiste · ssubsiste · subbsiste · subciste · subsiset · subsisste · subsistte · subsitse

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "subiste" for "subsiste" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([suˈβ̞ist̪e] versus [suβ̞ˈsist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "subiste" or "subsiste"?
"subiste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,351 in our Spanish list, against #37,871 for "subsiste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "subiste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "subsiste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #25,832 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "subiste" and "subsiste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "subís vs subiste". 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 #25,832 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