Which to use
“temps” is a noun and “tomes” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,991
- “temps” frequency rank
- #9,906
- “tomes” frequency rank
- 48897
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | temps | tomes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tiempo | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de tomar o de tomarse. |
Where the eye mixes temps and tomes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses temps with tomes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: temps is [ˈtems] while tomes is [ˈt̪omes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48897, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
temps is recorded at frequency rank #38,991, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtems]. tomes is at rank #9,906, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪omes].
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 48897, this pair ranks #111,913 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of temps vs tomes
Shared letters: emst. Private to "temps": p. Private to "tomes": o.
"temps" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "tomes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "temps" and "tomes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "temps" or "tomes"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "temps" and "tomes" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "temps" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tomes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #111,913 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "temps" and "tomes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tamos vs temps". 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 #111,913 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.