triplevstristeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,056
“triple” frequency rank
#1,259
“triste” frequency rank
6315
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature triple triste
Definition Que es exactamente tres veces más grande que otro, que lo contiene tres veces; que triplica un número, una cantidad o una cualidad. Que siente tristeza.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set triple and triste apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
triple
6 ch
triste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. triple ([ˈt̪ɾiple]) and triste ([ˈt̪ɾist̪e]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6315, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

triple is recorded at frequency rank #5,056, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾiple]. triste is at rank #1,259, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾist̪e].

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 6315, this pair ranks #311,137 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of triple vs triste

Shared letters: eirt. Private to "triple": lp. Private to "triste": s.

"triple" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV  ·  "triste" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • triplertiple · tirple · trilpe · tripel · triplle · tripple · trpile · trriple
  • tristertiste · tirste · triset · trisste · tristte · tritse · trriste · trsite

Frequency comparison

triple#5,056
triste#1,259

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "triple" and "triste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt̪ɾiple] versus [ˈt̪ɾist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "triple" or "triste"?
"triste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,259 in our Spanish list, against #5,056 for "triple". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering triple vs triste

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 “triple” 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