otorgavsotorgabaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“otorga” and “otorgaba” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#5,543
“otorga” frequency rank
#35,659
“otorgaba” frequency rank
41202
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature otorga otorgaba
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de otorgar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de otorgar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set otorga and otorgaba apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
otorga
8 ch
otorgaba

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

otorga and otorgaba 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 2 extra letter(s) - “otorga” sits inside “otorgaba” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41202, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

otorga is recorded at frequency rank #5,543, classified as averb, pronounced [oˈt̪oɾɣ̞a]. otorgaba is at rank #35,659, tagged as averb, pronounced [ot̪oɾˈɣ̞aβ̞a].

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 41202, this pair ranks #154,947 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

otorga#5,543
otorgaba#35,659

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "otorga" and "otorgaba" be used interchangeably?
No, "otorga" and "otorgaba" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering otorga vs otorgaba

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 “otorga” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list