Which to use
“lang” and “lao” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,297
- “lang” frequency rank
- #22,079
- “lao” frequency rank
- 40376
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lang | lao |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Largo. | Que pertenece o concierne a la etnia mayoritaria de Laos |
Where the eye mixes lang and lao
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lang with lao
A purely visual mix-up. lang ([laŋ]) and lao ([ˈlao]) 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 40376, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lang is recorded at frequency rank #18,297, classified as anadj, pronounced [laŋ]. lao is at rank #22,079, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈlao].
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 40376, this pair ranks #159,437 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lang vs lao
Shared letters: al. Private to "lang": gn. Private to "lao": o.
"lang" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "lao" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lang ← alng · lagn · langg · lanng · llang · lnag
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lang" for "lao" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lang" vs "lao" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lang" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lao" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #159,437 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lang" and "lao" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lac vs lao". 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 #159,437 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.