tenazvstezWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: tenaz is a adjective, tez is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“tenaz” is an adjective and “tez” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#28,179
“tenaz” frequency rank
#25,840
“tez” frequency rank
54019
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tenaz tez
Definition Que se pega, ase o prende a una cosa, y es dificultoso de separar. Aspecto externo o superficie, en especial del rostro humano.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tenaz and tez apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
tenaz
3 ch
tez

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tenaz is [t̪eˈnas] while tez is [ˈt̪es]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54019, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tenaz is recorded at frequency rank #28,179, classified as anadj, pronounced [t̪eˈnas]. tez is at rank #25,840, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪es].

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 54019, this pair ranks #85,179 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of tenaz vs tez

Shared letters: etz. Private to "tenaz": an. Private to "tez": -.

"tenaz" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "tez" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • tenazetnaz · teanz · tenazz · tennaz · tenza · tneaz · ttenaz

Frequency comparison

tenaz#28,179
tez#25,840

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "tenaz" and "tez" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "tenaz" is an adjective and "tez" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "tenaz" or "tez"?
"tez" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #25,840 in our Spanish list, against #28,179 for "tenaz". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering tenaz vs tez

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “tenaz”; for a noun, it's “tez”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tenaz” 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