Which to use
“lao” is an adjective and “lea” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,079
- “lao” frequency rank
- #5,323
- “lea” frequency rank
- 27402
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lao | lea |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que pertenece o concierne a la etnia mayoritaria de Laos | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de leer. |
Where the eye mixes lao and lea
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lao with lea
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lao is [ˈlao] while lea is [ˈlea]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27402, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lao is recorded at frequency rank #22,079, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈlao]. lea is at rank #5,323, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlea].
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 27402, this pair ranks #226,992 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lao vs lea
Shared letters: al. Private to "lao": o. Private to "lea": e.
"lao" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "lea" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lao" and "lea" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "lao" or "lea" 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 "lao" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lea" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #226,992 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lao" and "lea" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lac vs lao". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #226,992 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.