provocavsprovocabaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,543
“provoca” frequency rank
#31,070
“provocaba” frequency rank
35613
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

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

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set provoca and provocaba apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
provoca
9 ch
provocaba

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

provoca and provocaba 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) - “provoca” sits inside “provocaba” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35613, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

provoca is recorded at frequency rank #4,543, classified as averb, pronounced [pɾoˈβ̞oka]. provocaba is at rank #31,070, tagged as averb, pronounced [pɾoβ̞oˈkaβ̞a].

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 35613, this pair ranks #185,110 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

provoca#4,543
provocaba#31,070

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "provoca" and "provocaba" be used interchangeably?
No, "provoca" and "provocaba" 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 provoca vs provocaba

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 “provoca” 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