Which to use
“alcanzaba” and “alcanzan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,749
- “alcanzaba” frequency rank
- #8,214
- “alcanzan” frequency rank
- 24963
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alcanzaba | alcanzan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de alcanzar o de alcanzarse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de alcanzar o de alcanzarse. |
Where the eye mixes alcanzaba and alcanzan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. alcanzaba runs 9 letters (VCCVCCVCV) against alcanzan's 8 (VCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: alcanzaba vs alcanzan
A purely visual mix-up. alcanzaba ([alkãnˈsaβ̞a]) and alcanzan ([alˈkãnsãn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24963, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alcanzaba is recorded at frequency rank #16,749, classified as averb, pronounced [alkãnˈsaβ̞a]. alcanzan is at rank #8,214, tagged as averb, pronounced [alˈkãnsãn].
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 24963, this pair ranks #238,648 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of alcanzaba vs alcanzan
Shared letters: aclnz. Private to "alcanzaba": b. Private to "alcanzan": -.
"alcanzaba" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCV · "alcanzan" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alcanzaba" and "alcanzan" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "alcanzaba" vs "alcanzan" - which ranks higher?
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 "alcanzaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "alcanzan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #238,648 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alcanzaba" and "alcanzan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alcanzaba vs alcanzas". 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 #238,648 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.