Which to use
“alcanzaba” and “alcanzar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,749
- “alcanzaba” frequency rank
- #1,835
- “alcanzar” frequency rank
- 18584
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alcanzaba | alcanzar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de alcanzar o de alcanzarse. | Avanzar y llegar hasta algo o alguien que va adelante, física o figuradamente. |
Where the eye mixes alcanzaba and alcanzar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses alcanzaba with alcanzar
A purely visual mix-up. alcanzaba ([alkãnˈsaβ̞a]) and alcanzar ([alkãnˈsaɾ]) 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 18584, 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]. alcanzar is at rank #1,835, tagged as averb, pronounced [alkãnˈsaɾ].
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 18584, this pair ranks #267,288 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of alcanzaba vs alcanzar
Shared letters: aclnz. Private to "alcanzaba": b. Private to "alcanzar": r.
"alcanzaba" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCV · "alcanzar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "alcanzaba" and "alcanzar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "alcanzaba" vs "alcanzar" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
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 "alcanzar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #267,288 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alcanzaba" and "alcanzar" 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 #267,288 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.