Which to use
“caían” and “catar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,295
- “caían” frequency rank
- #33,482
- “catar” frequency rank
- 55777
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | caían | catar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de caer o de caerse. | Probar algo con el sentido del gusto, especialmente los alimentos. |
Where the eye mixes caían and catar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses caían with catar
A purely visual mix-up. caían ([kaˈiãn]) and catar ([kaˈt̪aɾ]) 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 55777, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
caían is recorded at frequency rank #22,295, classified as averb, pronounced [kaˈiãn]. catar is at rank #33,482, tagged as averb, pronounced [kaˈt̪aɾ].
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 55777, this pair ranks #77,381 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of caían vs catar
Shared letters: ac. Private to "caían": ní. Private to "catar": rt.
"caían" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC · "catar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- catar ← actar · caatr · catarr · cattar · ccatar · ctaar
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "caían" and "catar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "caían" or "catar"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "caían" and "catar" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "caían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "catar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #77,381 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "caían" and "catar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "catar vs catre". 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 #77,381 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.