Which to use
“lei” is a noun and “lo” is an article - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,485
- “lei” frequency rank
- #19
- “lo” frequency rank
- 9504
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lei | lo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Corona de flores que adorna el cuello y que se obsequia al llegar o marchar como símbolo de afecto. | Artículo determinado de género neutro que se usa para sustantivar adjetivos o frases. Forma del neutro de el. |
Where the eye mixes lei and lo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lei with lo
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lei is [ˈlej] while lo is [lo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs article), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9504, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lei is recorded at frequency rank #9,485, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlej]. lo is at rank #19, tagged as anarticle, pronounced [lo].
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 9504, this pair ranks #301,730 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lei vs lo
Shared letters: l. Private to "lei": ei. Private to "lo": o.
"lei" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "lo" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lei" for "lo" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lei" vs "lo" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lei" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #301,730 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lei" and "lo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lei vs lies". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #301,730 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.