Which to use
“ala” and “algo” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,261
- “ala” frequency rank
- #49,758
- “algo” frequency rank
- 64019
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ala | algo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A wing or winglike anatomic process or part, especially of bone. | Clipping of algorithm. |
Where the eye mixes ala and algo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: ala vs algo
A purely visual mix-up. ala (/ˈeɪ.lə/) and algo (/ˈæl.ɡoʊ̯/) 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 64019, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ala is recorded at frequency rank #14,261, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈeɪ.lə/. algo is at rank #49,758, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈæl.ɡoʊ̯/.
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 64019, this pair ranks #79,877 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ala vs algo
Shared letters: al. Private to "ala": -. Private to "algo": go.
"ala" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "algo" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- algo ← aglo · alggo · allgo · alog · lago
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ala" for "algo" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "ala" or "algo" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ala" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "algo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #79,877 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ala" and "algo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alc vs algo". 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 #79,877 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.