tenésvstomesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,568
“tenés” frequency rank
#9,906
“tomes” frequency rank
15474
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tenés tomes
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de tener o de tenerse. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de tomar o de tomarse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
tenés
5 ch
tomes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. tenés ([t̪eˈnes]) and tomes ([ˈt̪omes]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15474, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tenés is recorded at frequency rank #5,568, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪eˈnes]. 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 15474, this pair ranks #279,999 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of tenés vs tomes

Shared letters: est. Private to "tenés": . Private to "tomes": mo.

"tenés" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "tomes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • tomesotmes · tmoes · toems · tomess · tommes · tomse · ttomes

Frequency comparison

tenés#5,568
tomes#9,906

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "tenés" and "tomes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([t̪eˈnes] versus [ˈt̪omes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "tenés" or "tomes"?
"tenés" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,568 in our Spanish list, against #9,906 for "tomes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering tenés vs tomes

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 “tenés” 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