utilizanvsutilizarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,809
“utilizan” frequency rank
#1,707
“utilizar” frequency rank
4516
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature utilizan utilizar
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 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 utilizan and utilizar apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
utilizan
8 ch
utilizar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. utilizan ([ut̪iˈlisãn]) 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 a single letter - n in “utilizan” becomes r in “utilizar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4516, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

utilizan is recorded at frequency rank #2,809, classified as averb, pronounced [ut̪iˈlisãn]. 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 4516, this pair ranks #315,911 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of utilizan vs utilizar

Shared letters: ailtuz. Private to "utilizan": n. Private to "utilizar": r.

"utilizan" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC  ·  "utilizar" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • utilizantuilizan · uitlizan · utiilzan · utiliazn · utilizann · utilizna · utilizzan · utillizan
  • utilizartuilizar · uitlizar · utiilzar · utiliazr · utilizarr · utilizra · utilizzar · utillizar

Frequency comparison

utilizan#2,809
utilizar#1,707

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "utilizan" and "utilizar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ut̪iˈlisãn] versus [ut̪iliˈsaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "utilizan" or "utilizar"?
"utilizar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,707 in our Spanish list, against #2,809 for "utilizan". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering utilizan 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 “utilizan” 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