baladavsbatataWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,103
“balada” frequency rank
#36,426
“batata” frequency rank
63529
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature balada batata
Definition Canción lenta generalmente romántica. (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 balada and batata apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
balada
6 ch
batata

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. balada ([baˈlað̞a]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63529, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

balada is recorded at frequency rank #27,103, classified as anoun, pronounced [baˈlað̞a]. 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 63529, this pair ranks #48,479 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of balada vs batata

Shared letters: ab. Private to "balada": dl. Private to "batata": t.

"balada" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "batata" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • baladaablada · baalda · balaad · baladda · baldaa · ballada · bbalada · blaada
  • batataabtata · baatta · bataat · batatta · battaa · battata · bbatata · btaata

Frequency comparison

balada#27,103
batata#36,426

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "balada" and "batata" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([baˈlað̞a] versus [baˈt̪at̪a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "balada" or "batata"?
"balada" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,103 in our Spanish list, against #36,426 for "batata". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering balada 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 “balada” 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