Which to use
“tejo” is a noun and “tengo” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,836
- “tejo” frequency rank
- #88
- “tengo” frequency rank
- 46924
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tejo | tengo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pedazo de piedra plana y redondeada, o trozo de teja que se usa en diversos juegos. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de tener. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tejo and tengo apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tejo is [ˈt̪exo] while tengo is [ˈt̪ẽŋgo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46924, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tejo is recorded at frequency rank #46,836, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪exo]. tengo is at rank #88, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ẽŋgo].
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 46924, this pair ranks #122,971 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tejo vs tengo
Shared letters: eot. Private to "tejo": j. Private to "tengo": gn.
"tejo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "tengo" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tejo" and "tengo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tejo" or "tengo"?
Remembering tejo vs tengo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “tejo”; for a verb, it's “tengo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tejo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable