Which to use
“are” is a verb and “aya” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,261
- “are” frequency rank
- #17,355
- “aya” frequency rank
- 23616
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | are | aya |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de arar. | Forma del femenino singular de ayo. |
Where the eye mixes are and aya
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between are and aya
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: are is [ˈaɾe] while aya is [ˈaʝa]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23616, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
are is recorded at frequency rank #6,261, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɾe]. aya is at rank #17,355, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʝa].
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 23616, this pair ranks #244,949 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of are vs aya
Shared letters: a. Private to "are": er. Private to "aya": y.
"are" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "aya" · 3 letters · shape VVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "are" and "aya" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "are" or "aya"?
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 "are" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "aya" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #244,949 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "are" and "aya" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anta vs aya". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #244,949 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.