Which to use
“falta” is a noun and “faltaba” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #293
- “falta” frequency rank
- #6,303
- “faltaba” frequency rank
- 6596
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | falta | faltaba |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Error, acción considerada incorrecta o violatoria de alguna norma o reglamento. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de faltar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set falta and faltaba apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: falta is [ˈfal̪t̪a] while faltaba is [fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “falta” sits inside “faltaba”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6596, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
falta is recorded at frequency rank #293, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfal̪t̪a]. faltaba is at rank #6,303, tagged as averb, pronounced [fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a].
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 6596, this pair ranks #310,305 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of falta vs faltaba
Shared letters: aflt. Private to "falta": -. Private to "faltaba": b.
"falta" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "faltaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "falta" and "faltaba" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "falta" or "faltaba"?
Remembering falta vs faltaba
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “falta”; for a verb, it's “faltaba”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “falta” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable