Which to use
“iba” is a verb and “ilo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #500
- “iba” frequency rank
- #43,641
- “ilo” frequency rank
- 44141
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iba | ilo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de ir o de irse. | Herramienta |
Where the eye mixes iba and ilo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses iba with ilo
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: iba is [ˈiβ̞a] while ilo is /ˈilo/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44141, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iba is recorded at frequency rank #500, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈiβ̞a]. ilo is at rank #43,641, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈilo/.
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 44141, this pair ranks #138,691 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of iba vs ilo
Shared letters: i. Private to "iba": ab. Private to "ilo": lo.
"iba" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ilo" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "iba" for "ilo" ever safe?
Frequency check: "iba" vs "ilo" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "iba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ilo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #138,691 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iba" and "ilo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ilo vs iza". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #138,691 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.