utilizanvsutilizoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,809
“utilizan” frequency rank
#17,312
“utilizo” frequency rank
20121
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature utilizan utilizo
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de utilizar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de utilizar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set utilizan and utilizo apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
utilizan
7 ch
utilizo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. utilizan ([ut̪iˈlisãn]) and utilizo ([ut̪iˈliso]) 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 20121, 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]. utilizo is at rank #17,312, tagged as averb, pronounced [ut̪iˈliso].

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 20121, this pair ranks #260,707 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of utilizan vs utilizo

Shared letters: iltuz. Private to "utilizan": an. Private to "utilizo": o.

"utilizan" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC  ·  "utilizo" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • utilizantuilizan · uitlizan · utiilzan · utiliazn · utilizann · utilizna · utilizzan · utillizan
  • utilizotuilizo · uitlizo · utiilzo · utilioz · utilizzo · utillizo · utilzio · utliizo

Frequency comparison

utilizan#2,809
utilizo#17,312

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "utilizan" and "utilizo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ut̪iˈlisãn] versus [ut̪iˈliso]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "utilizan" or "utilizo"?
"utilizan" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,809 in our Spanish list, against #17,312 for "utilizo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering utilizan vs utilizo

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