tesvstosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,970
“tes” frequency rank
#9,550
“tos” frequency rank
38520
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tes tos
Definition Forma del plural de te. Contracción espasmódica repentina y a veces repetitiva de la cavidad torácica que resulta en una liberación violenta del aire de los pulmones produciendo un sonido característico.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tes and tos apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
tes
3 ch
tos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

tes and tos form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - e in “tes” becomes o in “tos” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38520, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tes is recorded at frequency rank #28,970, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪es]. tos is at rank #9,550, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt̪os].

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 38520, this pair ranks #169,572 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

tes#28,970
tos#9,550

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "tes" and "tos" be used interchangeably?
No, "tes" and "tos" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering tes vs tos

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 “tes” 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