tensavstensasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,738
“tensa” frequency rank
#36,322
“tensas” frequency rank
52060
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tensa tensas
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de tensar. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de tensar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tensa and tensas apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
tensa
6 ch
tensas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. tensa ([ˈt̪ẽnsa]) and tensas ([ˈt̪ẽnsas]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “tensa” sits inside “tensas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52060, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tensa is recorded at frequency rank #15,738, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ẽnsa]. tensas is at rank #36,322, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ẽnsas].

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 52060, this pair ranks #94,619 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of tensa vs tensas

Shared letters: aenst. Private to "tensa": -. Private to "tensas": -.

"tensa" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "tensas" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • tensaetnsa · tenas · tennsa · tenssa · tesna · tnesa · ttensa
  • tensasetnsas · tenass · tennsas · tensass · tenssas · tesnas · tnesas · ttensas

Frequency comparison

tensa#15,738
tensas#36,322

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "tensa" and "tensas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt̪ẽnsa] versus [ˈt̪ẽnsas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "tensa" or "tensas"?
"tensa" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,738 in our Spanish list, against #36,322 for "tensas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering tensa vs tensas

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 “tensa” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list