sabíamosvssaltamosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,535
“sabíamos” frequency rank
#48,070
“saltamos” frequency rank
57605
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sabíamos saltamos
Definition Primera persona del plural (nosotros, nosotras) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de saber. Primera persona del plural (nosotros, nosotras) del presente de indicativo de saltar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
sabíamos
8 ch
saltamos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sabíamos ([saˈβ̞iamos]) and saltamos ([sal̪ˈt̪amos]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57605, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sabíamos is recorded at frequency rank #9,535, classified as averb, pronounced [saˈβ̞iamos]. saltamos is at rank #48,070, tagged as averb, pronounced [sal̪ˈt̪amos].

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 57605, this pair ranks #69,822 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of sabíamos vs saltamos

Shared letters: amos. Private to "sabíamos": . Private to "saltamos": lt.

"sabíamos" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC  ·  "saltamos" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • saltamosasltamos · salatmos · salltamos · saltammos · saltamoss · saltamso · saltaoms · saltmaos

Frequency comparison

sabíamos#9,535
saltamos#48,070

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sabíamos" and "saltamos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([saˈβ̞iamos] versus [sal̪ˈt̪amos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sabíamos" or "saltamos"?
"sabíamos" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,535 in our Spanish list, against #48,070 for "saltamos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sabíamos vs saltamos

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 “sabíamos” 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