Which to use
“asma” and “asta” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,015
- “asma” frequency rank
- #14,518
- “asta” frequency rank
- 29533
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | asma | asta |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Enfermedad inflamatoria del aparato respiratorio que provoca dificultad en la respiración (disnea). | Vara larga, utilizada para sostener en su extremo una bandera o como parte de un arma larga, como una lanza o venablo. |
Where the eye mixes asma and asta
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses asma with asta
A purely visual mix-up. asma ([ˈasma]) and asta ([ˈast̪a]) 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 a single letter - m in “asma” becomes t in “asta”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29533, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
asma is recorded at frequency rank #15,015, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈasma]. asta is at rank #14,518, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈast̪a].
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 29533, this pair ranks #216,537 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of asma vs asta
Shared letters: as. Private to "asma": m. Private to "asta": t.
"asma" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "asta" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "asma" for "asta" ever safe?
Which is more common, "asma" or "asta"?
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 "asma" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "asta" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #216,537 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "asma" and "asta" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anta vs asma". 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 #216,537 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.