Which to use
“trabajaba” and “trabajaban” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,467
- “trabajaba” frequency rank
- #11,503
- “trabajaban” frequency rank
- 15970
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | trabajaba | trabajaban |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de trabajar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de trabajar. |
Where the eye mixes trabajaba and trabajaban
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: trabajaba vs trabajaban
A purely visual mix-up. trabajaba ([t̪ɾaβ̞aˈxaβ̞a]) and trabajaban ([t̪ɾaβ̞aˈxaβ̞ãn]) 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 extra letter(s) - “trabajaba” sits inside “trabajaban”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15970, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
trabajaba is recorded at frequency rank #4,467, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪ɾaβ̞aˈxaβ̞a]. trabajaban is at rank #11,503, tagged as averb, pronounced [t̪ɾaβ̞aˈxaβ̞ãn].
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 15970, this pair ranks #278,037 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of trabajaba vs trabajaban
Shared letters: abjrt. Private to "trabajaba": -. Private to "trabajaban": n.
"trabajaba" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCVCV · "trabajaban" · 10 letters · shape CCVCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- trabajaba ← rtabajaba · tarbajaba · traabjaba · trabaajba · trabajaab · trabajabba · trabajbaa · trabajjaba
- trabajaban ← rtabajaban · tarbajaban · traabjaban · trabaajban · trabajaabn · trabajabann · trabajabban · trabajabna
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "trabajaba" and "trabajaban" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "trabajaba" vs "trabajaban" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "trabajaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trabajaban" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #278,037 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "trabajaba" and "trabajaban" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "trabajaban vs trabajada". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #278,037 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.