pensabavspensadWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,221
“pensaba” frequency rank
#35,186
“pensad” frequency rank
37407
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pensaba pensad
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de pensar. Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del imperativo afirmativo de pensar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
pensaba
6 ch
pensad

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pensaba ([pẽnˈsaβ̞a]) and pensad ([pẽnˈsað̞]) 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 37407, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pensaba is recorded at frequency rank #2,221, classified as averb, pronounced [pẽnˈsaβ̞a]. pensad is at rank #35,186, tagged as averb, pronounced [pẽnˈsað̞].

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 37407, this pair ranks #175,472 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of pensaba vs pensad

Shared letters: aenps. Private to "pensaba": b. Private to "pensad": d.

"pensaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "pensad" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pensabaepnsaba · penasba · pennsaba · pensaab · pensabba · pensava · pensbaa · penssaba
  • pensadepnsad · penasd · pennsad · pensadd · pensda · penssad · pesnad · pnesad

Frequency comparison

pensaba#2,221
pensad#35,186

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pensaba" and "pensad" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pẽnˈsaβ̞a] versus [pẽnˈsað̞]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pensaba" or "pensad"?
"pensaba" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,221 in our Spanish list, against #35,186 for "pensad". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering pensaba vs pensad

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 “pensaba” 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