trabajanvstrabajarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,750
“trabajan” frequency rank
#518
“trabajar” frequency rank
3268
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature trabajan trabajar
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de trabajar. Realizar una actividad sea física o mental.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set trabajan and trabajar apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
trabajan
8 ch
trabajar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

trabajan and trabajar form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - n in “trabajan” becomes r in “trabajar” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3268, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

trabajan is recorded at frequency rank #2,750, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪ɾaˈβ̞axãn]. trabajar is at rank #518, tagged as averb, pronounced [t̪ɾaβ̞aˈxaɾ].

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 3268, this pair ranks #318,680 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

trabajan#2,750
trabajar#518

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "trabajan" and "trabajar" be used interchangeably?
No, "trabajan" and "trabajar" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering trabajan vs trabajar

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 “trabajan” 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