Which to use
“varían” and “variar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,241
- “varían” frequency rank
- #8,330
- “variar” frequency rank
- 18571
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | varían | variar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de variar. | Cambiar el estado, la forma o la composición de una cosa. |
Where the eye mixes varían and variar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses varían with variar
A purely visual mix-up. varían ([baˈɾiãn]) and variar ([baˈɾjaɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18571, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
varían is recorded at frequency rank #10,241, classified as averb, pronounced [baˈɾiãn]. variar is at rank #8,330, tagged as averb, pronounced [baˈɾjaɾ].
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 18571, this pair ranks #267,345 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of varían vs variar
Shared letters: arv. Private to "varían": ní. Private to "variar": i.
"varían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "variar" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- variar ← avriar · bariar · vairar · varair · variarr · varira · varriar · vraiar
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "varían" for "variar" ever safe?
Which is more common, "varían" or "variar"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "varían" and "variar" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "varían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "variar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #267,345 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "varían" and "variar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vallan vs varían". 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 #267,345 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.