Which to use
“lacayo” and “lavabo” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,734
- “lacayo” frequency rank
- #27,282
- “lavabo” frequency rank
- 60016
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lacayo | lavabo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Criado de librea, cuya principal ocupación es acompañar a su amo a pie, a caballo o en coche. | Pila dedicada al aseo de la parte superior del cuerpo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lacayo and lavabo apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
lacayo and lavabo form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60016, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lacayo is recorded at frequency rank #32,734, classified as anoun, pronounced [laˈkaʝo]. lavabo is at rank #27,282, tagged as anoun, pronounced [laˈβ̞aβ̞o].
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 60016, this pair ranks #60,448 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lacayo" and "lavabo" be used interchangeably?
Remembering lacayo vs lavabo
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 “lacayo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable