Which to use
“utilizaban” and “utilizan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,414
- “utilizaban” frequency rank
- #2,809
- “utilizan” frequency rank
- 21223
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | utilizaban | utilizan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de utilizar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de utilizar. |
Where the eye mixes utilizaban and utilizan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. utilizaban runs 10 letters (VCVCVCVCVC) against utilizan's 8 (VCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses utilizaban with utilizan
A purely visual mix-up. utilizaban ([ut̪iliˈsaβ̞ãn]) and utilizan ([ut̪iˈlisãn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21223, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
utilizaban is recorded at frequency rank #18,414, classified as averb, pronounced [ut̪iliˈsaβ̞ãn]. utilizan is at rank #2,809, tagged as averb, pronounced [ut̪iˈlisãn].
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 21223, this pair ranks #255,868 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of utilizaban vs utilizan
Shared letters: ailntuz. Private to "utilizaban": b. Private to "utilizan": -.
"utilizaban" · 10 letters · shape VCVCVCVCVC · "utilizan" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- utilizaban ← tuilizaban · uitlizaban · utiilzaban · utiliazban · utilizaabn · utilizabann · utilizabban · utilizabna
- utilizan ← tuilizan · uitlizan · utiilzan · utiliazn · utilizann · utilizna · utilizzan · utillizan
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "utilizaban" and "utilizan" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "utilizaban" or "utilizan"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "utilizaban" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "utilizan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #255,868 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "utilizaban" and "utilizan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "utilizaban vs utilizarán". 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 #255,868 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.