Which to use
“caí” is a verb and “cal” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,538
- “caí” frequency rank
- #7,675
- “cal” frequency rank
- 19213
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | caí | cal |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de caer o de caerse. | Óxido de calcio; sustancia blanca, ligera, cáustica y alcalina, que en estado natural se halla siempre combinada con alguna otra. |
Where the eye mixes caí and cal
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: caí vs cal
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: caí is [kaˈi] while cal is [ˈkal]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - í in “caí” becomes l in “cal”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19213, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
caí is recorded at frequency rank #11,538, classified as averb, pronounced [kaˈi]. cal is at rank #7,675, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkal].
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 19213, this pair ranks #264,702 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of caí vs cal
Shared letters: ac. Private to "caí": í. Private to "cal": l.
"caí" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "cal" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "caí" for "cal" ever safe?
Which is more common, "caí" or "cal"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "caí" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cal" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #264,702 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "caí" and "cal" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "caí vs cuc". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #264,702 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.