Which to use
“tenés” is a verb and “tonos” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,568
- “tenés” frequency rank
- #10,583
- “tonos” frequency rank
- 16151
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tenés | tonos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de tener o de tenerse. | Forma del plural de tono. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tenés and tonos 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: tenés is [t̪eˈnes] while tonos is [ˈt̪onos]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16151, 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]. tonos is at rank #10,583, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪onos].
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 16151, this pair ranks #277,326 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tenés vs tonos
Shared letters: nst. Private to "tenés": eé. Private to "tonos": o.
"tenés" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "tonos" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- tonos ← otnos · tnoos · tonnos · tonoss · tonso · toons · ttonos
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tenés" and "tonos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tenés" or "tonos"?
Remembering tenés vs tonos
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “tenés”; for a noun, it's “tonos”.
- 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