Which to use
“subsiste” and “subsistir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,871
- “subsiste” frequency rank
- #22,874
- “subsistir” frequency rank
- 60745
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | subsiste | subsistir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de subsistir. | Permanecer, durar una cosa o conservarse. |
Where the eye mixes subsiste and subsistir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. subsiste runs 8 letters (CVCCVCCV) against subsistir's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: subsiste vs subsistir
A purely visual mix-up. subsiste ([suβ̞ˈsist̪e]) and subsistir ([suβ̞sisˈt̪iɾ]) 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 60745, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
subsiste is recorded at frequency rank #37,871, classified as averb, pronounced [suβ̞ˈsist̪e]. subsistir is at rank #22,874, tagged as averb, pronounced [suβ̞sisˈt̪iɾ].
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 60745, this pair ranks #57,871 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of subsiste vs subsistir
Shared letters: bistu. Private to "subsiste": e. Private to "subsistir": r.
"subsiste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "subsistir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "subsiste" for "subsistir" ever safe?
Which is more common, "subsiste" or "subsistir"?
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 "subsiste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "subsistir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #57,871 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "subsiste" and "subsistir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "subsiste vs subsistema". 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 #57,871 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.