Which to use
“tenés” is a verb and “túnel” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,568
- “tenés” frequency rank
- #7,240
- “túnel” frequency rank
- 12808
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tenés | túnel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de tener o de tenerse. | Galería subterránea artificial a través de un monte u obstáculo físico, por debajo de un río, lago o mar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tenés and túnel apart are highlighted. They share 2 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 túnel is [ˈt̪unel]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 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 12808, 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]. túnel is at rank #7,240, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪unel].
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 12808, this pair ranks #290,184 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tenés vs túnel
Shared letters: ent. Private to "tenés": sé. Private to "túnel": lú.
"tenés" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "túnel" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tenés" and "túnel" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tenés" or "túnel"?
Remembering tenés vs túnel
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 “túnel”.
- 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