Which to use
“gratis” and “graves” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,170
- “gratis” frequency rank
- #2,778
- “graves” frequency rank
- 3948
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gratis | graves |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que se da o hace sin un pago como contrapartida. | Forma del plural de grave. |
Where the eye mixes gratis and graves
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses gratis with graves
A purely visual mix-up. gratis ([ˈgɾat̪is]) and graves ([ˈgɾaβ̞es]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3948, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gratis is recorded at frequency rank #1,170, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈgɾat̪is]. graves is at rank #2,778, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈgɾaβ̞es].
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 3948, this pair ranks #317,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gratis vs graves
Shared letters: agrs. Private to "gratis": it. Private to "graves": ev.
"gratis" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "graves" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "gratis" for "graves" ever safe?
Frequency check: "gratis" vs "graves" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "gratis" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "graves" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #317,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gratis" and "graves" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "graves vs grites". 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 #317,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.