aproximabavsaproximadaWhich spelling fits?

Quick tell: aproximaba is a verb, aproximada is a participle, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“aproximaba” is a verb and “aproximada” is a participle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#45,741
“aproximaba” frequency rank
#12,301
“aproximada” frequency rank
58042
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aproximaba aproximada
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de aproximar o de aproximarse. Forma del femenino de aproximado, participio de aproximar o de aproximarse.

Where the eye mixes aproximaba and aproximada

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.

10 ch
aproximaba
10 ch
aproximada

Look-alike desk: aproximaba vs aproximada

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: aproximaba is [apɾoksiˈmaβ̞a] while aproximada is [apɾoksiˈmað̞a]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - b in “aproximaba” becomes d in “aproximada”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs participle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58042, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aproximaba is recorded at frequency rank #45,741, classified as averb, pronounced [apɾoksiˈmaβ̞a]. aproximada is at rank #12,301, tagged as aparticiple, pronounced [apɾoksiˈmað̞a].

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 58042, this pair ranks #68,012 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of aproximaba vs aproximada

Shared letters: aimoprx. Private to "aproximaba": b. Private to "aproximada": d.

"aproximaba" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVCV  ·  "aproximada" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • aproximabaaporximaba · approximaba · aproixmaba · aproxiamba · aproximaab · aproximabba · aproximava · aproximbaa
  • aproximadaaporximada · approximada · aproixmada · aproxiamda · aproximaad · aproximadda · aproximdaa · aproximmada

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "aproximaba" and "aproximada" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "aproximaba" is a verb and "aproximada" a participle, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "aproximaba" vs "aproximada" - which ranks higher?
"aproximada" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,301 in our Spanish list, against #45,741 for "aproximaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "aproximaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "aproximada" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #68,012 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "aproximaba" and "aproximada" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "aproximaba vs aproximadas". 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 #68,012 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list