Which to use
“funcionaba” and “funcionar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,583
- “funcionaba” frequency rank
- #3,412
- “funcionar” frequency rank
- 14995
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | funcionaba | funcionar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de funcionar. | Realizar la o las funciones para lo que una labor o un mecanismo fue concebido. |
Where the eye mixes funcionaba and funcionar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: funcionaba vs funcionar
A purely visual mix-up. funcionaba ([fũnsjoˈnaβ̞a]) and funcionar ([fũnsjoˈnaɾ]) 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 14995, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
funcionaba is recorded at frequency rank #11,583, classified as averb, pronounced [fũnsjoˈnaβ̞a]. funcionar is at rank #3,412, tagged as averb, pronounced [fũnsjoˈnaɾ].
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 14995, this pair ranks #281,901 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of funcionaba vs funcionar
Shared letters: acfinou. Private to "funcionaba": b. Private to "funcionar": r.
"funcionaba" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVVCVCV · "funcionar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- funcionaba ← ffuncionaba · fnucionaba · fucnionaba · funccionaba · funcinoaba · funcioanba · funcionaab · funcionabba
- funcionar ← ffuncionar · fnucionar · fucnionar · funccionar · funcinoar · funcioanr · funcionarr · funcionnar
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "funcionaba" and "funcionar" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "funcionaba" vs "funcionar" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "funcionaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "funcionar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #281,901 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "funcionaba" and "funcionar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "funcionaba vs funcionarán". 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 #281,901 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.