jugabavsjugadoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,319
“jugaba” frequency rank
#5,124
“jugado” frequency rank
12443
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature jugaba jugado
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de jugar o de jugarse. Participio de jugar o de jugarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set jugaba and jugado apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
jugaba
6 ch
jugado

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. jugaba ([xuˈɣ̞aβ̞a]) and jugado ([xuˈɣ̞að̞o]) 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 12443, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

jugaba is recorded at frequency rank #7,319, classified as averb, pronounced [xuˈɣ̞aβ̞a]. jugado is at rank #5,124, tagged as averb, pronounced [xuˈɣ̞að̞o].

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 12443, this pair ranks #291,541 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of jugaba vs jugado

Shared letters: agju. Private to "jugaba": b. Private to "jugado": do.

"jugaba" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "jugado" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • jugabajguaba · jjugaba · juagba · jugaab · jugabba · jugava · jugbaa · juggaba
  • jugadojguado · jjugado · juagdo · jugaddo · jugaod · jugdao · juggado · ujgado

Frequency comparison

jugaba#7,319
jugado#5,124

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "jugaba" and "jugado" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([xuˈɣ̞aβ̞a] versus [xuˈɣ̞að̞o]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "jugaba" or "jugado"?
"jugado" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,124 in our Spanish list, against #7,319 for "jugaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering jugaba vs jugado

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 “jugaba” 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