Which to use
“ladrar” and “llorar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,276
- “ladrar” frequency rank
- #2,617
- “llorar” frequency rank
- 34893
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ladrar | llorar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dar ladridos el perro. | Derramar lágrimas. |
Where the eye mixes ladrar and llorar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. ladrar (CVCCVC) and llorar (CCVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses ladrar with llorar
A purely visual mix-up. ladrar ([laˈð̞ɾaɾ]) and llorar ([ʝoˈɾaɾ]) 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 34893, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ladrar is recorded at frequency rank #32,276, classified as averb, pronounced [laˈð̞ɾaɾ]. llorar is at rank #2,617, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʝoˈɾaɾ].
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 34893, this pair ranks #188,977 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ladrar vs llorar
Shared letters: alr. Private to "ladrar": d. Private to "llorar": o.
"ladrar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "llorar" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ladrar" and "llorar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ladrar" or "llorar"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ladrar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "llorar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #188,977 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ladrar" and "llorar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "laborar vs ladrar". 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 #188,977 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.