llamabavsllorabaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,091
“llamaba” frequency rank
#14,887
“lloraba” frequency rank
18978
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature llamaba lloraba
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de llamar o de llamarse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de llorar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set llamaba and lloraba apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
llamaba
7 ch
lloraba

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. llamaba ([ʝaˈmaβ̞a]) and lloraba ([ʝoˈɾaβ̞a]) 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 18978, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

llamaba is recorded at frequency rank #4,091, classified as averb, pronounced [ʝaˈmaβ̞a]. lloraba is at rank #14,887, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʝoˈɾaβ̞a].

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 18978, this pair ranks #265,677 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of llamaba vs lloraba

Shared letters: abl. Private to "llamaba": m. Private to "lloraba": or.

"llamaba" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV  ·  "lloraba" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • llamabalalmaba · lamaba · llaamba · llamaab · llamabba · llamava · llambaa · llammaba
  • lloraballoarba · lloraab · llorabba · llorava · llorbaa · llorraba · llroaba · lolraba

Frequency comparison

llamaba#4,091
lloraba#14,887

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "llamaba" and "lloraba" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʝaˈmaβ̞a] versus [ʝoˈɾaβ̞a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "llamaba" or "lloraba"?
"llamaba" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,091 in our Spanish list, against #14,887 for "lloraba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering llamaba vs lloraba

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 “llamaba” 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