mataríanvsmataronWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#48,530
“matarían” frequency rank
#4,526
“mataron” frequency rank
53056
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature matarían mataron
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del condicional de matar. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de matar o de matarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set matarían and mataron apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
matarían
7 ch
mataron

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. matarían ([mat̪aˈɾiãn]) and mataron ([maˈt̪aɾõn]) 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 53056, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

matarían is recorded at frequency rank #48,530, classified as averb, pronounced [mat̪aˈɾiãn]. mataron is at rank #4,526, tagged as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪aɾõn].

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 53056, this pair ranks #89,704 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of matarían vs mataron

Shared letters: amnrt. Private to "matarían": í. Private to "mataron": o.

"matarían" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC  ·  "mataron" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • mataronamtaron · maatron · mataorn · matarno · mataronn · matarron · matraon · mattaron

Frequency comparison

matarían#48,530
mataron#4,526

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "matarían" and "mataron" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([mat̪aˈɾiãn] versus [maˈt̪aɾõn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "matarían" or "mataron"?
"mataron" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,526 in our Spanish list, against #48,530 for "matarían". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering matarían vs mataron

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 “matarían” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list