Which to use
“existan” and “existían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,453
- “existan” frequency rank
- #7,996
- “existían” frequency rank
- 17449
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | existan | existían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de existir. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de existir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set existan and existían apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. existan ([ekˈsist̪ãn]) and existían ([eksisˈt̪iãn]) 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 17449, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
existan is recorded at frequency rank #9,453, classified as averb, pronounced [ekˈsist̪ãn]. existían is at rank #7,996, tagged as averb, pronounced [eksisˈt̪iãn].
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 17449, this pair ranks #272,064 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of existan vs existían
Shared letters: aeinstx. Private to "existan": -. Private to "existían": í.
"existan" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC · "existían" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- existan ← eixstan · exisatn · exisstan · existann · existna · existtan · exitsan · exsitan
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "existan" and "existían" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "existan" or "existían"?
Remembering existan vs existían
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 “existan” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable