Which to use
“lap” and “ley” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,923
- “lap” frequency rank
- #204
- “ley” frequency rank
- 41127
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lap | ley |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Imita un chapoteo. | Disposición, regla o precepto dictado por la máxima autoridad. |
Where the eye mixes lap and ley
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: lap vs ley
A purely visual mix-up. lap ([ˈlap]) and ley ([ˈlej]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41127, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lap is recorded at frequency rank #40,923, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlap]. ley is at rank #204, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlej].
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 41127, this pair ranks #155,380 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lap vs ley
Shared letters: l. Private to "lap": ap. Private to "ley": ey.
"lap" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "ley" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lap" and "ley" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "lap" vs "ley" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "lap" and "ley" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "lap" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ley" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #155,380 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lap" and "ley" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lac vs lap". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #155,380 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.