Which to use
“compraba” and “compraban” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,957
- “compraba” frequency rank
- #36,481
- “compraban” frequency rank
- 56438
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | compraba | compraban |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de comprar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de comprar. |
Where the eye mixes compraba and compraban
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between compraba and compraban
A purely visual mix-up. compraba ([kõmˈpɾaβ̞a]) and compraban ([kõmˈpɾaβ̞ãn]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “compraba” sits inside “compraban”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56438, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
compraba is recorded at frequency rank #19,957, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpɾaβ̞a]. compraban is at rank #36,481, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpɾaβ̞ãn].
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 56438, this pair ranks #74,600 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of compraba vs compraban
Shared letters: abcmopr. Private to "compraba": -. Private to "compraban": n.
"compraba" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "compraban" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "compraba" and "compraban" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "compraba" or "compraban"?
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 "compraba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compraban" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #74,600 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "compraba" and "compraban" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "comparaba vs compraban". 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 #74,600 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.