labsvslacWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“labs” and “lac” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#36,642
“labs” frequency rank
#48,497
“lac” frequency rank
85139
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature labs lac
Definition Forma del plural de lab. Lago.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set labs and lac apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
labs
3 ch
lac

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. labs (/læbz/) and lac ([lak]) 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 85139, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

labs is recorded at frequency rank #36,642, classified as anoun, pronounced /læbz/. lac is at rank #48,497, tagged as anoun, pronounced [lak].

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 85139, this pair ranks #6,392 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of labs vs lac

Shared letters: al. Private to "labs": bs. Private to "lac": c.

"labs" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "lac" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • labsalbs · labbs · labss · lasb · lavs · llabs

Frequency comparison

labs#36,642
lac#48,497

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "labs" and "lac" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/læbz/ versus [lak]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "labs" or "lac"?
"labs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #36,642 in our Spanish list, against #48,497 for "lac". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering labs vs lac

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 “labs” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list