Which to use
“clava” is a noun and “clavado” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #24,423
- “clava” frequency rank
- #18,186
- “clavado” frequency rank
- 42609
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clava | clavado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Palo toscamente labrado, como de un metro de largo, que va aumentando de diámetro desde la empuñadura hasta el extremo opuesto. | Guarnecido o armado con clavos. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set clava and clavado apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: clava is [ˈklaβ̞a] while clavado is [klaˈβ̞að̞o]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “clava” sits inside “clavado”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42609, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
clava is recorded at frequency rank #24,423, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaβ̞a]. clavado is at rank #18,186, tagged as anadj, pronounced [klaˈβ̞að̞o].
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 42609, this pair ranks #147,252 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of clava vs clavado
Shared letters: aclv. Private to "clava": -. Private to "clavado": do.
"clava" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "clavado" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clava" and "clavado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "clava" or "clavado"?
Remembering clava vs clavado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “clava”; for an adjective, it's “clavado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “clava” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable