Which to use
“pasaban” and “pensaban” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,014
- “pasaban” frequency rank
- #10,549
- “pensaban” frequency rank
- 19563
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pasaban | pensaban |
|---|---|---|
| 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 pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de pensar. |
Where the eye mixes pasaban and pensaban
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses pasaban with pensaban
A purely visual mix-up. pasaban ([paˈsaβ̞ãn]) and pensaban ([pẽnˈsaβ̞ãn]) 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 19563, 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]. pensaban is at rank #10,549, tagged as averb, pronounced [pẽnˈsaβ̞ãn].
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 19563, this pair ranks #263,224 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pasaban vs pensaban
Shared letters: abnps. Private to "pasaban": -. Private to "pensaban": e.
"pasaban" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "pensaban" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pasaban" and "pensaban" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pasaban" or "pensaban"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "pasaban" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pensaban" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #263,224 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pasaban" and "pensaban" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pensaban vs pensarían". 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 #263,224 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.