Which to use
“trace” and “trae” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,851
- “trace” frequency rank
- #2,273
- “trae” frequency rank
- 49124
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | trace | trae |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de trazar. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de traer o de traerse. |
Where the eye mixes trace and trae
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses trace with trae
A purely visual mix-up. trace ([ˈt̪ɾase]) and trae ([ˈt̪ɾae]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49124, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
trace is recorded at frequency rank #46,851, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾase]. trae is at rank #2,273, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾae].
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 49124, this pair ranks #110,592 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of trace vs trae
Shared letters: aert. Private to "trace": c. Private to "trae": -.
"trace" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "trae" · 4 letters · shape CCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "trace" for "trae" ever safe?
Which is more common, "trace" or "trae"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "trace" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trae" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #110,592 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "trace" and "trae" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tale vs trace". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #110,592 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.