utilizavsutilizarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,966
“utiliza” frequency rank
#1,707
“utilizar” frequency rank
3673
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature utiliza utilizar
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de utilizar. Ayudarse con una herramienta, objeto o servicio para obtener un resultado

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
utiliza
8 ch
utilizar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. utiliza ([ut̪iˈlisa]) and utilizar ([ut̪iliˈsaɾ]) 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) - “utiliza” sits inside “utilizar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3673, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

utiliza is recorded at frequency rank #1,966, classified as averb, pronounced [ut̪iˈlisa]. utilizar is at rank #1,707, tagged as averb, pronounced [ut̪iliˈsaɾ].

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 3673, this pair ranks #317,813 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of utiliza vs utilizar

Shared letters: ailtuz. Private to "utiliza": -. Private to "utilizar": r.

"utiliza" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV  ·  "utilizar" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • utilizatuiliza · uitliza · utiilza · utiliaz · utilizza · utilliza · utilzia · utliiza
  • utilizartuilizar · uitlizar · utiilzar · utiliazr · utilizarr · utilizra · utilizzar · utillizar

Frequency comparison

utiliza#1,966
utilizar#1,707

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "utiliza" and "utilizar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ut̪iˈlisa] versus [ut̪iliˈsaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "utiliza" or "utilizar"?
"utilizar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,707 in our Spanish list, against #1,966 for "utiliza". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering utiliza vs utilizar

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 “utiliza” 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