valíanvsvayanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,063
“valían” frequency rank
#2,056
“vayan” frequency rank
42119
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature valían vayan
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de valer o de valerse. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de ir o de irse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set valían and vayan apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
valían
5 ch
vayan

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. valían ([baˈliãn]) and vayan ([ˈbaʝãn]) 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 42119, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

valían is recorded at frequency rank #40,063, classified as averb, pronounced [baˈliãn]. vayan is at rank #2,056, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbaʝãn].

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 42119, this pair ranks #149,996 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of valían vs vayan

Shared letters: anv. Private to "valían": . Private to "vayan": y.

"valían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "vayan" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vayanavyan · bayan · vaayn · vayann · vayna · vayyan · vvayan · vyaan

Frequency comparison

valían#40,063
vayan#2,056

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "valían" and "vayan" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([baˈliãn] versus [ˈbaʝãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "valían" or "vayan"?
"vayan" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,056 in our Spanish list, against #40,063 for "valían". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering valían vs vayan

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 “valían” 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