Which to use
“espalda” and “espasa” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,985
- “espalda” frequency rank
- #30,893
- “espasa” frequency rank
- 32878
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | espalda | espasa |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Parte posterior del cuerpo humano que va de la base del cuello y hombros al trasero. Está opuesta al pecho y su altura viene dada por la columna vertebral o espinal dorsal. Su anchura va en función de la caja torácica y los hombros. | Espada. |
Where the eye mixes espalda and espasa
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. espalda runs 7 letters (VCCVCCV) against espasa's 6 (VCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between espalda and espasa
A purely visual mix-up. espalda ([esˈpal̪d̪a]) and espasa ([əsˈpa.zə]) 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 32878, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
espalda is recorded at frequency rank #1,985, classified as anoun, pronounced [esˈpal̪d̪a]. espasa is at rank #30,893, tagged as anoun, pronounced [əsˈpa.zə].
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 32878, this pair ranks #199,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of espalda vs espasa
Shared letters: aeps. Private to "espalda": dl. Private to "espasa": -.
"espalda" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "espasa" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "espalda" and "espasa" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "espalda" or "espasa" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "espalda" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "espasa" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #199,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "espalda" and "espasa" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "escasea vs espasa". 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 #199,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.