Which to use
“ajena” is an adjective and “alega” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,860
- “ajena” frequency rank
- #18,434
- “alega” frequency rank
- 25294
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ajena | alega |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino singular de ajeno. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de alegar. |
Where the eye mixes ajena and alega
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ajena with alega
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ajena is [aˈxena] while alega is [aˈleɣ̞a]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25294, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ajena is recorded at frequency rank #6,860, classified as anadj, pronounced [aˈxena]. alega is at rank #18,434, tagged as averb, pronounced [aˈleɣ̞a].
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 25294, this pair ranks #237,122 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ajena vs alega
Shared letters: ae. Private to "ajena": jn. Private to "alega": gl.
"ajena" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "alega" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ajena" for "alega" ever safe?
Which is more common, "ajena" or "alega"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ajena" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "alega" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #237,122 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ajena" and "alega" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alega vs alegaba". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #237,122 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.