lagovsloboWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,784
“lago” frequency rank
#4,916
“lobo” frequency rank
7700
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lago lobo
Definition Cuerpo de agua, generalmente dulce, de tamaño considerable, que se encuentra separado del mar. (Canis lupus) Variedad salvaje del mismo cánido conocido en su forma doméstica como perro. Alcanza 160 cm de largo y 70 de alzada a la cruz, con una cabeza de buen tamaño con respecto al cuerpo y un grueso pelaje grisáceo, pardo o blanco según las subespecies. Es gregario, formando manadas bien organizadas y con una estricta jerarquía llamadas jauría, que cazan cooperativamente. Se conocen no menos de una treintena de subespecies, distribuidas por todo el hemisferio norte y Oceanía. Simboliza tradicionalmente la fiereza y la rapacidad.

Where the eye mixes lago and lobo

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

4 ch
lago
4 ch
lobo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lago ([ˈlaɣ̞o]) and lobo ([ˈloβ̞o]) 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 7700, 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]. lobo is at rank #4,916, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈloβ̞o].

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 7700, this pair ranks #307,207 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lago vs lobo

Shared letters: lo. Private to "lago": ag. Private to "lobo": b.

"lago" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "lobo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lagolaggo · laog · lgao · llago
  • lobolboo · llobo · lobbo · loob · lovo · olbo

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lago" and "lobo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlaɣ̞o] versus [ˈloβ̞o]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lago" or "lobo"?
"lago" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,784 in our Spanish list, against #4,916 for "lobo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list