Which to use
“pasaba” and “pasar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,276
- “pasaba” frequency rank
- #381
- “pasar” frequency rank
- 3657
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pasaba | pasar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de pasar. | Llevar de un lugar a otro. |
Where the eye mixes pasaba and pasar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses pasaba with pasar
A purely visual mix-up. pasaba ([paˈsaβ̞a]) and pasar ([paˈsaɾ]) 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 3657, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pasaba is recorded at frequency rank #3,276, classified as averb, pronounced [paˈsaβ̞a]. pasar is at rank #381, tagged as averb, pronounced [paˈsaɾ].
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 3657, this pair ranks #317,845 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pasaba vs pasar
Shared letters: aps. Private to "pasaba": b. Private to "pasar": r.
"pasaba" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "pasar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pasaba" and "pasar" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "pasaba" vs "pasar" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "pasaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pasar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #317,845 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pasaba" and "pasar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pasar vs petar". 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 #317,845 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.