Which to use
“alcanzaban” and “alcanzan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,037
- “alcanzaban” frequency rank
- #8,214
- “alcanzan” frequency rank
- 47251
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alcanzaban | alcanzan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de alcanzar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de alcanzar o de alcanzarse. |
Where the eye mixes alcanzaban and alcanzan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. alcanzaban runs 10 letters (VCCVCCVCVC) against alcanzan's 8 (VCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: alcanzaban vs alcanzan
A purely visual mix-up. alcanzaban ([alkãnˈsaβ̞ãn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47251, 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]. 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 47251, this pair ranks #121,099 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of alcanzaban vs alcanzan
Shared letters: aclnz. Private to "alcanzaban": b. Private to "alcanzan": -.
"alcanzaban" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCVCVC · "alcanzan" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- alcanzaban ← aclanzaban · alacnzaban · alcanazban · alcannzaban · alcanzaabn · alcanzabann · alcanzabban · alcanzabna
- alcanzan ← aclanzan · alacnzan · alcanazn · alcannzan · alcanzann · alcanzna · alcanzzan · alcaznan
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alcanzaban" and "alcanzan" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "alcanzaban" or "alcanzan"?
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 "alcanzaban" 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 #121,099 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alcanzaban" and "alcanzan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alcanzaban vs alcanzarán". 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 #121,099 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.