molestabavsmolestasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,409
“molestaba” frequency rank
#19,497
“molestas” frequency rank
40906
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature molestaba molestas
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de molestar. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de molestar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
molestaba
8 ch
molestas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. molestaba ([molesˈt̪aβ̞a]) and molestas ([moˈlest̪as]) 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 40906, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

molestaba is recorded at frequency rank #21,409, classified as averb, pronounced [molesˈt̪aβ̞a]. molestas is at rank #19,497, tagged as averb, pronounced [moˈlest̪as].

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 40906, this pair ranks #156,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of molestaba vs molestas

Shared letters: aelmost. Private to "molestaba": b. Private to "molestas": -.

"molestaba" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV  ·  "molestas" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • molestabamloestaba · mmolestaba · moelstaba · molesatba · molesstaba · molestaab · molestabba · molestava
  • molestasmloestas · mmolestas · moelstas · molesats · molesstas · molestass · molestsa · molesttas

Frequency comparison

molestaba#21,409
molestas#19,497

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "molestaba" and "molestas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([molesˈt̪aβ̞a] versus [moˈlest̪as]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "molestaba" or "molestas"?
"molestas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,497 in our Spanish list, against #21,409 for "molestaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering molestaba vs molestas

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 “molestaba” 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