Which to use
“obtenía” and “obtenían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,025
- “obtenía” frequency rank
- #43,151
- “obtenían” frequency rank
- 74176
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obtenía | obtenían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de obtener. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de obtener. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obtenía and obtenían apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. obtenía ([oβ̞t̪eˈnia]) 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 extra letter(s) - “obtenía” sits inside “obtenían”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 74176, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obtenía is recorded at frequency rank #31,025, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞t̪eˈnia]. 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 74176, this pair ranks #21,822 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of obtenía vs obtenían
Shared letters: abenotí. Private to "obtenía": -. Private to "obtenían": -.
"obtenía" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVV · "obtenían" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obtenía" and "obtenían" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obtenía" or "obtenían"?
Remembering obtenía vs obtenían
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 “obtenía” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable