llorabavsllorarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,887
“lloraba” frequency rank
#2,617
“llorar” frequency rank
17504
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lloraba llorar
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de llorar. Derramar lágrimas.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
lloraba
6 ch
llorar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lloraba ([ʝoˈɾaβ̞a]) and llorar ([ʝoˈɾaɾ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17504, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lloraba is recorded at frequency rank #14,887, classified as averb, pronounced [ʝoˈɾaβ̞a]. llorar is at rank #2,617, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʝoˈɾaɾ].

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 17504, this pair ranks #271,818 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lloraba vs llorar

Shared letters: alor. Private to "lloraba": b. Private to "llorar": -.

"lloraba" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV  ·  "llorar" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lloraballoarba · lloraab · llorabba · llorava · llorbaa · llorraba · llroaba · lolraba
  • llorarlloarr · llorarr · llorra · llorrar · llroar · lolrar · lorar

Frequency comparison

lloraba#14,887
llorar#2,617

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lloraba" and "llorar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʝoˈɾaβ̞a] versus [ʝoˈɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lloraba" or "llorar"?
"llorar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,617 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 lloraba vs llorar

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 “lloraba” 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