limpiarvslimpiaronWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,569
“limpiar” frequency rank
#47,234
“limpiaron” frequency rank
50803
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature limpiar limpiaron
Definition Sacar la suciedad que hay en algo. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de limpiar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
limpiar
9 ch
limpiaron

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. limpiar ([lĩmˈpjaɾ]) and limpiaron ([lĩmˈpjaɾõn]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “limpiar” sits inside “limpiaron”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50803, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

limpiar is recorded at frequency rank #3,569, classified as averb, pronounced [lĩmˈpjaɾ]. limpiaron is at rank #47,234, tagged as averb, pronounced [lĩmˈpjaɾõn].

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 50803, this pair ranks #101,264 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of limpiar vs limpiaron

Shared letters: ailmpr. Private to "limpiar": -. Private to "limpiaron": no.

"limpiar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC  ·  "limpiaron" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • limpiarilmpiar · limipar · limmpiar · limpair · limpiarr · limpira · limppiar · lipmiar
  • limpiaronilmpiaron · limiparon · limmpiaron · limpairon · limpiaorn · limpiarno · limpiaronn · limpiarron

Frequency comparison

limpiar#3,569
limpiaron#47,234

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "limpiar" and "limpiaron" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([lĩmˈpjaɾ] versus [lĩmˈpjaɾõn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "limpiar" or "limpiaron"?
"limpiar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,569 in our Spanish list, against #47,234 for "limpiaron". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering limpiar vs limpiaron

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 “limpiar” 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