Which to use
“obtenían” and “ostentan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #43,151
- “obtenían” frequency rank
- #32,787
- “ostentan” frequency rank
- 75938
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obtenían | ostentan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de obtener. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de ostentar. |
Where the eye mixes obtenían and ostentan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. obtenían (VCCVCVVC) and ostentan (VCCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses obtenían with ostentan
A purely visual mix-up. obtenían ([oβ̞t̪eˈniãn]) and ostentan ([osˈt̪ẽn̪t̪ãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75938, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obtenían is recorded at frequency rank #43,151, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞t̪eˈniãn]. ostentan is at rank #32,787, tagged as averb, pronounced [osˈt̪ẽn̪t̪ãn].
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 75938, this pair ranks #18,619 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of obtenían vs ostentan
Shared letters: aenot. Private to "obtenían": bí. Private to "ostentan": s.
"obtenían" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVVC · "ostentan" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ostentan ← osetntan · osstentan · ostenatn · ostenntan · ostentann · ostentna · ostenttan · ostetnan
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "obtenían" for "ostentan" ever safe?
Which is more common, "obtenían" or "ostentan"?
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 "obtenían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ostentan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #18,619 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "obtenían" and "ostentan" 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 #18,619 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.