Which to use
“utilicé” and “utilicen” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,352
- “utilicé” frequency rank
- #15,752
- “utilicen” frequency rank
- 52104
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | utilicé | utilicen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de utilizar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de utilizar. |
Where the eye mixes utilicé and utilicen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. utilicé runs 7 letters (VCVCVCV) against utilicen's 8 (VCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between utilicé and utilicen
A purely visual mix-up. utilicé ([ut̪iliˈse]) and utilicen ([ut̪iˈlisẽn]) 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 52104, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
utilicé is recorded at frequency rank #36,352, classified as averb, pronounced [ut̪iliˈse]. utilicen is at rank #15,752, tagged as averb, pronounced [ut̪iˈlisẽn].
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 52104, this pair ranks #94,368 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of utilicé vs utilicen
Shared letters: ciltu. Private to "utilicé": é. Private to "utilicen": en.
"utilicé" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV · "utilicen" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- utilicen ← tuilicen · uitlicen · utiilcen · utilcien · utiliccen · utilicenn · utilicne · utiliecn
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "utilicé" and "utilicen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "utilicé" or "utilicen"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "utilicé" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "utilicen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #94,368 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "utilicé" and "utilicen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "utilicé vs utilizo". 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 #94,368 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.