Which to use
“lanzó” is a verb and “lao” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,492
- “lanzó” frequency rank
- #22,079
- “lao” frequency rank
- 25571
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lanzó | lao |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de lanzar o de lanzarse. | Que pertenece o concierne a la etnia mayoritaria de Laos |
Where the eye mixes lanzó and lao
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lanzó and lao
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lanzó is [lãnˈso] while lao is [ˈlao]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25571, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lanzó is recorded at frequency rank #3,492, classified as averb, pronounced [lãnˈso]. 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 25571, this pair ranks #235,828 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lanzó vs lao
Shared letters: al. Private to "lanzó": nzó. Private to "lao": o.
"lanzó" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "lao" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lanzó" for "lao" ever safe?
Which is more common, "lanzó" or "lao"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lanzó" 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 #235,828 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lanzó" and "lao" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lac vs lao". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #235,828 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.