Which to use
“marcaba” and “mataba” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,706
- “marcaba” frequency rank
- #23,131
- “mataba” frequency rank
- 48837
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | marcaba | mataba |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de marcar. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de matar o de matarse. |
Where the eye mixes marcaba and mataba
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: marcaba vs mataba
A purely visual mix-up. marcaba ([maɾˈkaβ̞a]) and mataba ([maˈt̪aβ̞a]) 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 48837, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
marcaba is recorded at frequency rank #25,706, classified as averb, pronounced [maɾˈkaβ̞a]. mataba is at rank #23,131, tagged as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪aβ̞a].
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 48837, this pair ranks #112,247 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of marcaba vs mataba
Shared letters: abm. Private to "marcaba": cr. Private to "mataba": t.
"marcaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "mataba" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "marcaba" and "mataba" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "marcaba" or "mataba" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "marcaba" and "mataba" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "marcaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mataba" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #112,247 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "marcaba" and "mataba" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mataba vs Matta". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #112,247 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.