Which to use
“obligan” and “obligar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,188
- “obligan” frequency rank
- #9,002
- “obligar” frequency rank
- 19190
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obligan | obligar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente 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 spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obligan and obligar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
obligan and obligar form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - n in “obligan” becomes r in “obligar” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19190, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obligan is recorded at frequency rank #10,188, classified as averb, pronounced [oˈβ̞liɣ̞ãn]. 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 19190, this pair ranks #264,793 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obligan" and "obligar" be used interchangeably?
Remembering obligan vs obligar
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 “obligan” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable