lanzabavslanzabanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,715
“lanzaba” frequency rank
#39,312
“lanzaban” frequency rank
69027
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lanzaba lanzaban
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de lanzar o de lanzarse. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de lanzar o de lanzarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lanzaba and lanzaban apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
lanzaba
8 ch
lanzaban

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lanzaba ([lãnˈsaβ̞a]) and lanzaban ([lãnˈsaβ̞ãn]) 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 extra letter(s) - “lanzaba” sits inside “lanzaban”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69027, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lanzaba is recorded at frequency rank #29,715, classified as averb, pronounced [lãnˈsaβ̞a]. lanzaban is at rank #39,312, tagged as averb, pronounced [lãnˈsaβ̞ãn].

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 69027, this pair ranks #33,036 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of lanzaba vs lanzaban

Shared letters: ablnz. Private to "lanzaba": -. Private to "lanzaban": -.

"lanzaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "lanzaban" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lanzabaalnzaba · lanazba · lannzaba · lanzaab · lanzabba · lanzava · lanzbaa · lanzzaba
  • lanzabanalnzaban · lanazban · lannzaban · lanzaabn · lanzabann · lanzabban · lanzabna · lanzavan

Frequency comparison

lanzaba#29,715
lanzaban#39,312

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lanzaba" and "lanzaban" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([lãnˈsaβ̞a] versus [lãnˈsaβ̞ãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lanzaba" or "lanzaban"?
"lanzaba" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,715 in our Spanish list, against #39,312 for "lanzaban". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lanzaba vs lanzaban

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 “lanzaba” 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