Which to use
“tad” and “tae” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,240
- “tad” frequency rank
- #17,830
- “tae” frequency rank
- 64070
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tad | tae |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Padre. | Té. |
Where the eye mixes tad and tae
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. tad (CVC) and tae (CVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses tad with tae
A purely visual mix-up. tad (/ˈtɑːt/) and tae ([t̪ˠeː]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - d in “tad” becomes e in “tae”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64070, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tad is recorded at frequency rank #46,240, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈtɑːt/. tae is at rank #17,830, tagged as anoun, pronounced [t̪ˠeː].
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 64070, this pair ranks #46,704 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tad vs tae
Shared letters: at. Private to "tad": d. Private to "tae": e.
"tad" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "tae" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tad" for "tae" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "tad" or "tae" 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 "tad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tae" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #46,704 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tad" and "tae" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tad vs task". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #46,704 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.