Which to use
“obligar” and “obviar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,002
- “obligar” frequency rank
- #30,167
- “obviar” frequency rank
- 39169
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obligar | obviar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Atar, ligar, precisar, mover eficazmente a alguna cosa, aunque sea repugnante al gusto y genio del que la ha de ejecutar. | Neutralizar o suprimir un obstáculo o inconveniente al ignorarlo, apartarlo, quitarlo etc. |
Where the eye mixes obligar and obviar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. obligar runs 7 letters (VCCVCVC) against obviar's 6 (VCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between obligar and obviar
A purely visual mix-up. obligar ([oβ̞liˈɣ̞aɾ]) and obviar ([oβ̞ˈbjaɾ]) 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 39169, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obligar is recorded at frequency rank #9,002, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞liˈɣ̞aɾ]. obviar is at rank #30,167, tagged as averb, pronounced [oβ̞ˈbjaɾ].
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 39169, this pair ranks #166,029 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of obligar vs obviar
Shared letters: abior. Private to "obligar": gl. Private to "obviar": v.
"obligar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "obviar" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obligar" and "obviar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obligar" or "obviar"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "obligar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "obviar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #166,029 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "obligar" and "obviar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "obviar vs obvios". 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 #166,029 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.