faltabavsfaltanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,303
“faltaba” frequency rank
#3,323
“faltan” frequency rank
9626
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature faltaba faltan
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de faltar. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de faltar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set faltaba and faltan apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
faltaba
6 ch
faltan

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. faltaba ([fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a]) and faltan ([ˈfal̪t̪ãn]) 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 9626, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

faltaba is recorded at frequency rank #6,303, classified as averb, pronounced [fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a]. faltan is at rank #3,323, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfal̪t̪ãn].

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 9626, this pair ranks #301,360 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of faltaba vs faltan

Shared letters: aflt. Private to "faltaba": b. Private to "faltan": n.

"faltaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "faltan" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • faltabaafltaba · falatba · falltaba · faltaab · faltabba · faltava · faltbaa · falttaba
  • faltanafltan · falatn · falltan · faltann · faltna · falttan · fatlan · ffaltan

Frequency comparison

faltaba#6,303
faltan#3,323

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "faltaba" and "faltan" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a] versus [ˈfal̪t̪ãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "faltaba" or "faltan"?
"faltan" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,323 in our Spanish list, against #6,303 for "faltaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering faltaba vs faltan

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 “faltaba” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list