Which to use
“ají” and “ala” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,912
- “ají” frequency rank
- #3,894
- “ala” frequency rank
- 33806
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ají | ala |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Fruto comestible de diversas especies del género Capsicum, usualmente picante, que se emplea como condimento. | Las alas son extremidades o apéndices que poseen algunos grupos de animales, normalmente utilizan estas alas para poder volar. |
Where the eye mixes ají and ala
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: ají vs ala
A purely visual mix-up. ají ([aˈxi]) and ala ([ˈala]) 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 33806, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ají is recorded at frequency rank #29,912, classified as anoun, pronounced [aˈxi]. ala is at rank #3,894, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈala].
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 33806, this pair ranks #194,802 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ají vs ala
Shared letters: a. Private to "ají": jí. Private to "ala": l.
"ají" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ala" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ají" and "ala" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "ají" or "ala" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ají" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ala" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #194,802 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ají" and "ala" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ají vs apis". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #194,802 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.