Which to use
“encontraba” and “encontrase” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,827
- “encontraba” frequency rank
- #39,202
- “encontrase” frequency rank
- 42029
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | encontraba | encontrase |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de encontrar o de encontrarse. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo de encontrar o de encontrarse. |
Where the eye mixes encontraba and encontrase
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. encontraba and encontrase follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCCVCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: encontraba vs encontrase
A purely visual mix-up. encontraba ([ẽŋkõn̪ˈt̪ɾaβ̞a]) and encontrase ([ẽŋkõn̪ˈt̪ɾase]) 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 42029, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
encontraba is recorded at frequency rank #2,827, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽŋkõn̪ˈt̪ɾaβ̞a]. encontrase is at rank #39,202, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽŋkõn̪ˈt̪ɾase].
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 42029, this pair ranks #150,485 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of encontraba vs encontrase
Shared letters: acenort. Private to "encontraba": b. Private to "encontrase": s.
"encontraba" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCV · "encontrase" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- encontraba ← ecnontraba · enccontraba · encnotraba · enconntraba · enconrtaba · encontarba · encontraab · encontrabba
- encontrase ← ecnontrase · enccontrase · encnotrase · enconntrase · enconrtase · encontarse · encontrace · encontraes
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "encontraba" for "encontrase" ever safe?
Frequency check: "encontraba" vs "encontrase" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "encontraba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "encontrase" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #150,485 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "encontraba" and "encontrase" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "encontrás vs encontrase". 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 #150,485 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.