Which to use
“lance” and “lanza” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,732
- “lance” frequency rank
- #3,715
- “lanza” frequency rank
- 17447
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lance | lanza |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | En el poema dramático y en la novela, suceso, acontecimiento, situación interesante o notable. | Arma formada por un asta de longitud considerable que en uno de sus extremos posee una punta afilada hecha de algún material resistente como hierro, piedra o hueso, entre otros. Se ha usado en casi todas las épocas y culturas por su facilidad de fabricación y de manejo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lance and lanza apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
lance and lanza 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 17447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lance is recorded at frequency rank #13,732, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlãnse]. lanza is at rank #3,715, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlãnsa].
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 17447, this pair ranks #272,072 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lance" and "lanza" be used interchangeably?
Remembering lance vs lanza
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 “lance” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable