Which to use
“utilizaba” and “utilizaban” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,472
- “utilizaba” frequency rank
- #18,414
- “utilizaban” frequency rank
- 34886
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | utilizaba | utilizaban |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de utilizar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de utilizar. |
Where the eye mixes utilizaba and utilizaban
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. utilizaba runs 9 letters (VCVCVCVCV) against utilizaban's 10 (VCVCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between utilizaba and utilizaban
A purely visual mix-up. utilizaba ([ut̪iliˈsaβ̞a]) and utilizaban ([ut̪iliˈsaβ̞ãn]) 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) - “utilizaba” sits inside “utilizaban”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34886, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
utilizaba is recorded at frequency rank #16,472, classified as averb, pronounced [ut̪iliˈsaβ̞a]. utilizaban is at rank #18,414, tagged as averb, pronounced [ut̪iliˈsaβ̞ãn].
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 34886, this pair ranks #189,003 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of utilizaba vs utilizaban
Shared letters: abiltuz. Private to "utilizaba": -. Private to "utilizaban": n.
"utilizaba" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVCV · "utilizaban" · 10 letters · shape VCVCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- utilizaba ← tuilizaba · uitlizaba · utiilzaba · utiliazba · utilizaab · utilizabba · utilizava · utilizbaa
- utilizaban ← tuilizaban · uitlizaban · utiilzaban · utiliazban · utilizaabn · utilizabann · utilizabban · utilizabna
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "utilizaba" and "utilizaban" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "utilizaba" or "utilizaban"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "utilizaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "utilizaban" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #189,003 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "utilizaba" and "utilizaban" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "utilizaba vs utilizaría". 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 #189,003 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.