Which to use
“lanzar” and “lavar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,438
- “lanzar” frequency rank
- #6,556
- “lavar” frequency rank
- 10994
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lanzar | lavar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Arrojar, empujar algo para dotarle de una velocidad inicial y que recorra una distancia. | Limpiar con un medio líquido, especialmente con agua. |
Where the eye mixes lanzar and lavar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lanzar and lavar
A purely visual mix-up. lanzar ([lãnˈsaɾ]) and lavar ([laˈβ̞aɾ]) 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 10994, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lanzar is recorded at frequency rank #4,438, classified as averb, pronounced [lãnˈsaɾ]. lavar is at rank #6,556, tagged as averb, pronounced [laˈβ̞aɾ].
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 10994, this pair ranks #296,633 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lanzar vs lavar
Shared letters: alr. Private to "lanzar": nz. Private to "lavar": v.
"lanzar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "lavar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lanzar" for "lavar" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "lanzar" or "lavar" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lanzar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lavar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #296,633 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lanzar" and "lavar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lavar vs lavaron". 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 #296,633 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.