vivívsvolvíWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#11,152
“viví” frequency rank
#5,163
“volví” frequency rank
16315
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature viví volví
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de vivir. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de volver o de volverse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set viví and volví apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
viví
5 ch
volví

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. viví ([biˈβ̞i]) and volví ([bolˈβ̞i]) 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 16315, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

viví is recorded at frequency rank #11,152, classified as averb, pronounced [biˈβ̞i]. volví is at rank #5,163, tagged as averb, pronounced [bolˈβ̞i].

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 16315, this pair ranks #276,685 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of viví vs volví

Shared letters: . Private to "viví": i. Private to "volví": lo.

"viví" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "volví" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Frequency comparison

viví#11,152
volví#5,163

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "viví" and "volví" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([biˈβ̞i] versus [bolˈβ̞i]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "viví" or "volví"?
"volví" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,163 in our Spanish list, against #11,152 for "viví". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering viví vs volví

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 “viví” 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