Which to use
“aparecían” and “aparezcan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,338
- “aparecían” frequency rank
- #14,279
- “aparezcan” frequency rank
- 31617
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aparecían | aparezcan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de aparecer o de aparecerse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de aparecer o de aparecerse. |
Where the eye mixes aparecían and aparezcan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. aparecían (VCVCVCVVC) and aparezcan (VCVCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses aparecían with aparezcan
A purely visual mix-up. aparecían ([apaɾeˈsiãn]) and aparezcan ([apaˈɾeskãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31617, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aparecían is recorded at frequency rank #17,338, classified as averb, pronounced [apaɾeˈsiãn]. aparezcan is at rank #14,279, tagged as averb, pronounced [apaˈɾeskãn].
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 31617, this pair ranks #206,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of aparecían vs aparezcan
Shared letters: acenpr. Private to "aparecían": í. Private to "aparezcan": z.
"aparecían" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVVC · "aparezcan" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- aparezcan ← aaprezcan · apaerzcan · apareczan · aparezacn · aparezcann · aparezccan · aparezcna · aparezzcan
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "aparecían" for "aparezcan" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "aparecían" or "aparezcan" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "aparecían" and "aparezcan" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "aparecían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "aparezcan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #206,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "aparecían" and "aparezcan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "aparecían vs aparecieran". 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 #206,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.