Which to use
“seguían” and “servían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,718
- “seguían” frequency rank
- #20,197
- “servían” frequency rank
- 28915
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | seguían | servían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de seguir. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de servir. |
Where the eye mixes seguían and servían
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. seguían (CVCVVVC) and servían (CVCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses seguían with servían
A purely visual mix-up. seguían ([seˈɣ̞iãn]) and servían ([seɾˈβ̞iãn]) 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 28915, 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]. servían is at rank #20,197, tagged as averb, pronounced [seɾˈβ̞iãn].
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 28915, this pair ranks #219,595 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of seguían vs servían
Shared letters: aensí. Private to "seguían": gu. Private to "servían": rv.
"seguían" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVVC · "servían" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "seguían" and "servían" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "seguían" or "servían" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "seguían" and "servían" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "seguían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "servían" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #219,595 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "seguían" and "servían" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Servia vs servían". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #219,595 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.