labsvslacaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,642
“labs” frequency rank
#38,780
“laca” frequency rank
75422
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature labs laca
Definition Forma del plural de lab. Barniz, cubierta de maderas y otros materiales.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
labs
4 ch
laca

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. labs (/læbz/) and laca ([ˈlaka]) 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 75422, 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/. laca is at rank #38,780, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaka].

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 75422, this pair ranks #19,577 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of labs vs laca

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

"labs" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "laca" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • labsalbs · labbs · labss · lasb · lavs · llabs
  • lacaalca · laac · lacca · lcaa · llaca

Frequency comparison

labs#36,642
laca#38,780

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "labs" and "laca" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/læbz/ versus [ˈlaka]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "labs" or "laca"?
"labs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #36,642 in our Spanish list, against #38,780 for "laca". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering labs vs laca

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