Which to use
“obtenga” and “obtenían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,673
- “obtenga” frequency rank
- #43,151
- “obtenían” frequency rank
- 58824
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obtenga | obtenían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de obtener. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de obtener. |
Where the eye mixes obtenga and obtenían
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. obtenga runs 7 letters (VCCVCCV) against obtenían's 8 (VCCVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between obtenga and obtenían
A purely visual mix-up. obtenga ([oβ̞ˈt̪ẽŋga]) and obtenían ([oβ̞t̪eˈniãn]) 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 58824, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obtenga is recorded at frequency rank #15,673, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞ˈt̪ẽŋga]. obtenían is at rank #43,151, tagged as averb, pronounced [oβ̞t̪eˈniãn].
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 58824, this pair ranks #65,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of obtenga vs obtenían
Shared letters: abenot. Private to "obtenga": g. Private to "obtenían": í.
"obtenga" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "obtenían" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- obtenga ← botenga · obbtenga · obetnga · obtegna · obtenag · obtengga · obtennga · obtnega
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "obtenga" for "obtenían" ever safe?
Which is more common, "obtenga" or "obtenían"?
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 "obtenga" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "obtenían" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #65,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "obtenga" and "obtenían" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "obtendrán vs obtenían". 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 #65,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.