Which to use
“defendían” and “dependían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,461
- “defendían” frequency rank
- #37,020
- “dependían” frequency rank
- 61481
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | defendían | dependían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de defender o de defenderse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de depender. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set defendían and dependían apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. defendían ([d̪efẽn̪ˈd̪iãn]) and dependían ([d̪epẽn̪ˈd̪iãn]) 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 a single letter - f in “defendían” becomes p in “dependían”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61481, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
defendían is recorded at frequency rank #24,461, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪efẽn̪ˈd̪iãn]. dependían is at rank #37,020, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪epẽn̪ˈd̪iãn].
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 61481, this pair ranks #55,328 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of defendían vs dependían
Shared letters: adení. Private to "defendían": f. Private to "dependían": p.
"defendían" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVVC · "dependían" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "defendían" and "dependían" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "defendían" or "dependían"?
Remembering defendían vs dependían
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “defendían” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable