lacravslataConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#26,114
“lacra” frequency rank
#7,746
“lata” frequency rank
33860
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lacra lata
Definition Secuela de una enfermedad. Envase hecho de hojalata, con su contenido o sin él.

Where the eye mixes lacra and lata

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

5 ch
lacra
4 ch
lata

Visual trap between lacra and lata

A purely visual mix-up. lacra ([ˈlakɾa]) and lata ([ˈlat̪a]) 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 33860, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lacra is recorded at frequency rank #26,114, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlakɾa]. lata is at rank #7,746, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlat̪a].

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 33860, this pair ranks #194,513 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lacra vs lata

Shared letters: al. Private to "lacra": cr. Private to "lata": t.

"lacra" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "lata" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lacraalcra · lacar · laccra · lacrra · larca · llacra
  • latalaat · latta · llata · ltaa

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lacra" and "lata" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlakɾa] versus [ˈlat̪a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "lacra" vs "lata" - which ranks higher?
"lata" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,746 in our Spanish list, against #26,114 for "lacra". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "lacra" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "lata" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #194,513 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "lacra" and "lata" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lacra vs Lyra". 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 #194,513 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list