pasabanvspasanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,014
“pasaban” frequency rank
#1,692
“pasan” frequency rank
10706
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pasaban pasan
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de pasar. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de pasar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pasaban and pasan apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
pasaban
5 ch
pasan

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

pasaban and pasan 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 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10706, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pasaban is recorded at frequency rank #9,014, classified as averb, pronounced [paˈsaβ̞ãn]. pasan is at rank #1,692, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈpasãn].

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 10706, this pair ranks #297,669 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

pasaban#9,014
pasan#1,692

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pasaban" and "pasan" be used interchangeably?
No, "pasaban" and "pasan" 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 pasaban vs pasan

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 “pasaban” 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