Which to use
“chavos” and “clavos” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,941
- “chavos” frequency rank
- #16,289
- “clavos” frequency rank
- 42230
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chavos | clavos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (Sambucus ebulus) Hierba de la familia de las caprifoliáceas, crece hasta dos metros con tallos erectos; el fruto es una baya tóxica, de color negro, pequeña y globosa de 5 a 6mm de diámetro. | Forma del plural de clavo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chavos and clavos apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. chavos ([ˈt͡ʃaβ̞os]) and clavos ([ˈklaβ̞os]) 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 a single letter - h in “chavos” becomes l in “clavos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42230, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chavos is recorded at frequency rank #25,941, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡ʃaβ̞os]. clavos is at rank #16,289, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaβ̞os].
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 42230, this pair ranks #149,405 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of chavos vs clavos
Shared letters: acosv. Private to "chavos": h. Private to "clavos": l.
"chavos" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "clavos" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chavos" and "clavos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chavos" or "clavos"?
Remembering chavos vs clavos
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 “chavos” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable