Which to use
“chaval” and “clava” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,375
- “chaval” frequency rank
- #24,423
- “clava” frequency rank
- 35798
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chaval | clava |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ser humano de corta edad, en especial el que no ha llegado a la pubertad. | Palo toscamente labrado, como de un metro de largo, que va aumentando de diámetro desde la empuñadura hasta el extremo opuesto. |
Where the eye mixes chaval and clava
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: chaval vs clava
A purely visual mix-up. chaval ([t͡ʃaˈβ̞al]) and clava ([ˈklaβ̞a]) 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 35798, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chaval is recorded at frequency rank #11,375, classified as anoun, pronounced [t͡ʃaˈβ̞al]. clava is at rank #24,423, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaβ̞a].
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 35798, this pair ranks #184,117 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of chaval vs clava
Shared letters: aclv. Private to "chaval": h. Private to "clava": -.
"chaval" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "clava" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chaval" and "clava" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chaval" or "clava"?
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 "chaval" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "clava" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #184,117 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "chaval" and "clava" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "clava vs Cova". 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 #184,117 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.