Which to use
“iba” and “ist” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #500
- “iba” frequency rank
- #41,994
- “ist” frequency rank
- 42494
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iba | ist |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de ir o de irse. | Tercera persona del singular (er, sie, es) del presente de indicativo de sein. |
Where the eye mixes iba and ist
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between iba and ist
A purely visual mix-up. iba ([ˈiβ̞a]) and ist (/ɪst/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42494, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iba is recorded at frequency rank #500, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈiβ̞a]. ist is at rank #41,994, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪst/.
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 42494, this pair ranks #147,889 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of iba vs ist
Shared letters: i. Private to "iba": ab. Private to "ist": st.
"iba" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ist" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "iba" for "ist" ever safe?
Which is more common, "iba" or "ist"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "iba" and "ist" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "iba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ist" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #147,889 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iba" and "ist" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ist vs iza". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #147,889 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.