Which to use
“seguían” and “seguir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,718
- “seguían” frequency rank
- #383
- “seguir” frequency rank
- 9101
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | seguían | seguir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de seguir. | Caminar detrás de alguien o de algo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set seguían and seguir apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. seguían ([seˈɣ̞iãn]) and seguir ([seˈɣ̞iɾ]) 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 9101, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
seguían is recorded at frequency rank #8,718, classified as averb, pronounced [seˈɣ̞iãn]. seguir is at rank #383, tagged as averb, pronounced [seˈɣ̞iɾ].
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 9101, this pair ranks #302,977 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of seguían vs seguir
Shared letters: egsu. Private to "seguían": aní. Private to "seguir": ir.
"seguían" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVVC · "seguir" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- seguir ← ceguir · esguir · segguir · segiur · seguirr · seguri · seugir · sgeuir
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "seguían" and "seguir" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "seguían" or "seguir"?
Remembering seguían vs seguir
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 “seguían” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable