Which to use
“obligaba” and “obligar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,753
- “obligaba” frequency rank
- #9,002
- “obligar” frequency rank
- 29755
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obligaba | obligar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de obligar o de obligarse. | Atar, ligar, precisar, mover eficazmente a alguna cosa, aunque sea repugnante al gusto y genio del que la ha de ejecutar. |
Where the eye mixes obligaba and obligar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. obligaba runs 8 letters (VCCVCVCV) against obligar's 7 (VCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses obligaba with obligar
A purely visual mix-up. obligaba ([oβ̞liˈɣ̞aβ̞a]) and obligar ([oβ̞liˈɣ̞aɾ]) 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 29755, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obligaba is recorded at frequency rank #20,753, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞liˈɣ̞aβ̞a]. obligar is at rank #9,002, tagged as averb, pronounced [oβ̞liˈɣ̞aɾ].
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 29755, this pair ranks #215,406 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of obligaba vs obligar
Shared letters: abgilo. Private to "obligaba": -. Private to "obligar": r.
"obligaba" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCV · "obligar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obligaba" and "obligar" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "obligaba" or "obligar" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "obligaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "obligar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #215,406 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "obligaba" and "obligar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "obligaba vs obligaría". 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 #215,406 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.