queríavsquerríanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#777
“quería” frequency rank
#32,363
“querrían” frequency rank
33140
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature quería querrían
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de querer. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del condicional de querer.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set quería and querrían apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
quería
8 ch
querrían

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. quería ([keˈɾia]) and querrían ([keˈriãn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

quería is recorded at frequency rank #777, classified as averb, pronounced [keˈɾia]. querrían is at rank #32,363, tagged as averb, pronounced [keˈriãn].

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 33140, this pair ranks #198,388 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of quería vs querrían

Shared letters: aeqruí. Private to "quería": -. Private to "querrían": n.

"quería" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVV  ·  "querrían" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVVC

Frequency comparison

quería#777
querrían#32,363

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "quería" and "querrían" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([keˈɾia] versus [keˈriãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "quería" or "querrían"?
"quería" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #777 in our Spanish list, against #32,363 for "querrían". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering quería vs querrían

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 “quería” 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