lemavslensWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“lema” and “lens” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,195
“lema” frequency rank
#47,908
“lens” frequency rank
54103
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lema lens
Definition Frase o expresión distintiva que se emplea como guía para la conducta o latiguillo en la comunicación. Lente.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lema and lens apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
lema
4 ch
lens

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lema ([ˈlema]) and lens (/lɛnz/) 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 54103, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lema is recorded at frequency rank #6,195, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlema]. lens is at rank #47,908, tagged as anoun, pronounced /lɛnz/.

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 54103, this pair ranks #84,784 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lema vs lens

Shared letters: el. Private to "lema": am. Private to "lens": ns.

"lema" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "lens" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lemaelma · leam · lemma · llema · lmea
  • lenselns · lenns · lenss · lesn · llens · lnes

Frequency comparison

lema#6,195
lens#47,908

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lema" and "lens" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlema] versus /lɛnz/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lema" or "lens"?
"lema" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,195 in our Spanish list, against #47,908 for "lens". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lema vs lens

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lema” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list