bachatavsbatataWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,976
“bachata” frequency rank
#36,426
“batata” frequency rank
74402
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bachata batata
Definition Género musical en ritmo de dos por cuatro originario de República Dominicana. (Ipomoea batatas) Planta herbácea de la familia de las convolvuláceas, de origen latinoamericano y extensamente cultivada por su raíz tuberosa, empleada en gastronomía. Es una enredadera perenne, de hojas cordiformes o palmatilobuladas, alternas, pecioladas, y flores simpétalas, pentámeras, de buen tamaño y muy atractivas. La raíz es larga y fusiforme, con la piel pardorrojiza a púrpura, y pulpa similarmente variable. Cultivada en América desde la época precolombina, llegó a Europa en el siglo XVI y se ha difundido ampliamente en todo el mundo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bachata and batata apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
bachata
6 ch
batata

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bachata ([baˈt͡ʃat̪a]) and batata ([baˈt̪at̪a]) 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 74402, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bachata is recorded at frequency rank #37,976, classified as anoun, pronounced [baˈt͡ʃat̪a]. batata is at rank #36,426, tagged as anoun, pronounced [baˈt̪at̪a].

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 74402, this pair ranks #21,391 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of bachata vs batata

Shared letters: abt. Private to "bachata": ch. Private to "batata": -.

"bachata" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "batata" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bachataabchata · bacahta · bacchata · bachaat · bachatta · bachhata · bachtaa · bahcata
  • batataabtata · baatta · bataat · batatta · battaa · battata · bbatata · btaata

Frequency comparison

bachata#37,976
batata#36,426

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bachata" and "batata" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([baˈt͡ʃat̪a] versus [baˈt̪at̪a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bachata" or "batata"?
"batata" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #36,426 in our Spanish list, against #37,976 for "bachata". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering bachata vs batata

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 “bachata” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list