sufrenvssufríanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,952
“sufren” frequency rank
#29,854
“sufrían” frequency rank
34806
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sufren sufrían
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de sufrir. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de sufrir.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sufren and sufrían apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
sufren
7 ch
sufrían

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

sufren and sufrían form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34806, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sufren is recorded at frequency rank #4,952, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsufɾẽn]. sufrían is at rank #29,854, tagged as averb, pronounced [suˈfɾiãn].

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 34806, this pair ranks #189,483 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

sufren#4,952
sufrían#29,854

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sufren" and "sufrían" be used interchangeably?
No, "sufren" and "sufrían" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering sufren vs sufrían

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 “sufren” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list