Which to use
“cabe” and “clave” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,011
- “cabe” frequency rank
- #1,401
- “clave” frequency rank
- 3412
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cabe | clave |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acción de atravesar la pierna en el camino de otro para hacerlo caer. | Explicación de los signos convenidos para escribir en cifra, o de cualesquiera otros distintos de los conocidos o usuales. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cabe and clave apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
cabe and clave form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3412, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cabe is recorded at frequency rank #2,011, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkaβ̞e]. clave is at rank #1,401, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaβ̞e].
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 3412, this pair ranks #318,364 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cabe" and "clave" be used interchangeably?
Remembering cabe vs clave
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 “cabe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable