explicavsexplicabaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“explica” and “explicaba” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#1,677
“explica” frequency rank
#13,908
“explicaba” frequency rank
15585
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature explica explicaba
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de explicar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de explicar.

Where the eye mixes explica and explicaba

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.

7 ch
explica
9 ch
explicaba

Look-alike desk: explica vs explicaba

A purely visual mix-up. explica ([eksˈplika]) and explicaba ([ekspliˈkaβ̞a]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “explica” sits inside “explicaba”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15585, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

explica is recorded at frequency rank #1,677, classified as averb, pronounced [eksˈplika]. explicaba is at rank #13,908, tagged as averb, pronounced [ekspliˈkaβ̞a].

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 15585, this pair ranks #279,569 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of explica vs explicaba

Shared letters: aceilpx. Private to "explica": -. Private to "explicaba": b.

"explica" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV  ·  "explicaba" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • explicaepxlica · exlpica · expilca · explcia · expliac · explicca · expllica · expplica
  • explicabaepxlicaba · exlpicaba · expilcaba · explciaba · expliacba · explicaab · explicabba · explicava

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "explica" and "explicaba" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([eksˈplika] versus [ekspliˈkaβ̞a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "explica" vs "explicaba" - which ranks higher?
"explica" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,677 in our Spanish list, against #13,908 for "explicaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "explica" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "explicaba" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #279,569 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "explica" and "explicaba" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "explicaba vs explotaba". 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 #279,569 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list