Which to use
“alcanzaban” is a verb and “alcanzada” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,037
- “alcanzaban” frequency rank
- #24,368
- “alcanzada” frequency rank
- 63405
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alcanzaban | alcanzada |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de alcanzar. | Forma del femenino de alcanzado. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set alcanzaban and alcanzada apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
alcanzaban and alcanzada 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 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63405, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alcanzaban is recorded at frequency rank #39,037, classified as averb, pronounced [alkãnˈsaβ̞ãn]. alcanzada is at rank #24,368, tagged as anadj, pronounced [alkãnˈsað̞a].
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 63405, this pair ranks #48,867 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alcanzaban" and "alcanzada" be used interchangeably?
Remembering alcanzaban vs alcanzada
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “alcanzaban”; for an adjective, it's “alcanzada”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “alcanzaban” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable