Which to use
“banana” and “batata” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,077
- “banana” frequency rank
- #36,426
- “batata” frequency rank
- 50503
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | banana | batata |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (Musa acuminata, M. balbisiana, M. x paradisiaca) Grupo de plantas herbáceas, compuesto tanto por híbridos como por cultivares genéticamente puros de algunas especies de Musa, que se cultivan por su fruto, una falsa baya epígina de característica forma falcada consumida como alimento. Se cultivan en más de 130 países, desde el sudeste asiático de donde son nativas, hasta Oceanía y Sudamérica. No son árboles sino megaforbias perennes, con pseudotallo de hasta 7 m de altura y hojas que se cuentan entre las más grandes del reino vegetal. | (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 banana and batata apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. banana ([baˈnana]) 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 50503, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
banana is recorded at frequency rank #14,077, classified as anoun, pronounced [baˈnana]. 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 50503, this pair ranks #102,860 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of banana vs batata
Shared letters: ab. Private to "banana": n. Private to "batata": t.
"banana" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "batata" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "banana" and "batata" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "banana" or "batata"?
Remembering banana 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 “banana” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable