Which to use
“basta” and “batata” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,468
- “basta” frequency rank
- #36,426
- “batata” frequency rank
- 37894
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | basta | batata |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hilván que dan en la ropa los sastres, modistas y costureras, para que salgan bien derechas las costuras. | (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 eye mixes basta and batata
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses basta with batata
A purely visual mix-up. basta ([ˈbast̪a]) 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 37894, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
basta is recorded at frequency rank #1,468, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbast̪a]. 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 37894, this pair ranks #172,905 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of basta vs batata
Shared letters: abt. Private to "basta": s. Private to "batata": -.
"basta" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "batata" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "basta" and "batata" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "basta" or "batata" show up more?
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 "basta" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "batata" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #172,905 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "basta" and "batata" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bajate vs batata". 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 #172,905 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.