Which to use
“uma” is a noun and “un” is an article - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,265
- “uma” frequency rank
- #10
- “un” frequency rank
- 23275
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | uma | un |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Caballo. | Artículo indeterminado masculino singular. |
Where the eye mixes uma and un
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between uma and un
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: uma is [ɯ̟ᵝma̠] while un is [ũn]. 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 23275, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
uma is recorded at frequency rank #23,265, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɯ̟ᵝma̠]. un is at rank #10, tagged as anarticle, pronounced [ũn].
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 23275, this pair ranks #246,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of uma vs un
Shared letters: u. Private to "uma": am. Private to "un": n.
"uma" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "un" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "uma" and "un" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "uma" or "un" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "uma" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "un" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #246,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "uma" and "un" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "uma vs urea". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #246,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.