Which to use
“caben” is a verb and “cale” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,778
- “caben” frequency rank
- #41,231
- “cale” frequency rank
- 56009
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | caben | cale |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de caber. | Golpe suave con la mano. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set caben and cale apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
caben and cale 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 56009, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
caben is recorded at frequency rank #14,778, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkaβ̞ẽn]. cale is at rank #41,231, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkale].
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 56009, this pair ranks #76,399 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "caben" and "cale" be used interchangeably?
Remembering caben vs cale
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “caben”; for a noun, it's “cale”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “caben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable