Which to use
“lago” and “lay” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,784
- “lago” frequency rank
- #35,585
- “lay” frequency rank
- 38369
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lago | lay |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cuerpo de agua, generalmente dulce, de tamaño considerable, que se encuentra separado del mar. | Composición poética medieval de los provenzales y de los franceses, destinada a relatar una leyenda o historia de amores, generalmente en versos cortos. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lago and lay apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
lago and lay form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38369, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lago is recorded at frequency rank #2,784, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaɣ̞o]. lay is at rank #35,585, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaj].
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 38369, this pair ranks #170,376 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lago" and "lay" be used interchangeably?
Remembering lago vs lay
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 “lago” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable