veíanvsveríaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,893
“veían” frequency rank
#9,917
“vería” frequency rank
18810
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature veían vería
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de ver o de verse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del condicional de ver o de verse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
veían
5 ch
vería

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. veían ([beˈiãn]) and vería ([beˈɾia]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18810, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

veían is recorded at frequency rank #8,893, classified as averb, pronounced [beˈiãn]. vería is at rank #9,917, tagged as averb, pronounced [beˈɾia].

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 18810, this pair ranks #266,374 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of veían vs vería

Shared letters: aeví. Private to "veían": n. Private to "vería": r.

"veían" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC  ·  "vería" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV

Frequency comparison

veían#8,893
vería#9,917

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "veían" and "vería" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([beˈiãn] versus [beˈɾia]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "veían" or "vería"?
"veían" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,893 in our Spanish list, against #9,917 for "vería". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering veían vs vería

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 “veían” 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