temesvstumbesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,420
“temes” frequency rank
#39,507
“tumbes” frequency rank
66927
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature temes tumbes
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de temar. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de tumbar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set temes and tumbes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
temes
6 ch
tumbes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. temes ([ˈt̪emes]) and tumbes ([ˈt̪ũmbes]) 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 66927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

temes is recorded at frequency rank #27,420, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪emes]. tumbes is at rank #39,507, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ũmbes].

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 66927, this pair ranks #38,496 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of temes vs tumbes

Shared letters: emst. Private to "temes": -. Private to "tumbes": bu.

"temes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "tumbes" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • temesetmes · teems · temess · temmes · temse · tmees · ttemes
  • tumbestmubes · ttumbes · tubmes · tumbbes · tumbess · tumbse · tumebs · tummbes

Frequency comparison

temes#27,420
tumbes#39,507

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "temes" and "tumbes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt̪emes] versus [ˈt̪ũmbes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "temes" or "tumbes"?
"temes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,420 in our Spanish list, against #39,507 for "tumbes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering temes vs tumbes

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 “temes” 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