faltabavsfaltarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,303
“faltaba” frequency rank
#7,023
“faltar” frequency rank
13326
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature faltaba faltar
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de faltar. No estar en un sitio.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
faltaba
6 ch
faltar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. faltaba ([fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a]) and faltar ([fal̪ˈt̪aɾ]) 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 13326, 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]. faltar is at rank #7,023, tagged as averb, pronounced [fal̪ˈt̪aɾ].

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 13326, this pair ranks #288,284 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of faltaba vs faltar

Shared letters: aflt. Private to "faltaba": b. Private to "faltar": r.

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

Known mistypes of this pair

  • faltabaafltaba · falatba · falltaba · faltaab · faltabba · faltava · faltbaa · falttaba
  • faltarafltar · falatr · falltar · faltarr · faltra · falttar · fatlar · ffaltar

Frequency comparison

faltaba#6,303
faltar#7,023

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "faltaba" and "faltar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fal̪ˈt̪aβ̞a] versus [fal̪ˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "faltaba" or "faltar"?
"faltaba" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,303 in our Spanish list, against #7,023 for "faltar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering faltaba vs faltar

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