Which to use
“compraba” and “compran” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,957
- “compraba” frequency rank
- #9,426
- “compran” frequency rank
- 29383
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | compraba | compran |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de comprar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de comprar. |
Where the eye mixes compraba and compran
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between compraba and compran
A purely visual mix-up. compraba ([kõmˈpɾaβ̞a]) and compran ([ˈkõmpɾãn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29383, 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]. compran is at rank #9,426, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkõmpɾãn].
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 29383, this pair ranks #217,280 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of compraba vs compran
Shared letters: acmopr. Private to "compraba": b. Private to "compran": n.
"compraba" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "compran" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "compraba" for "compran" ever safe?
Which is more common, "compraba" or "compran"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "compraba" and "compran" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "compraba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compran" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #217,280 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "compraba" and "compran" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "comportaba vs compraba". 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 #217,280 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.