uñavsurnaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,473
“uña” frequency rank
#15,245
“urna” frequency rank
31718
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature uña urna
Definition Capa queratinosa (córnea) que recubre el extremo de los dedos del hombre y de algunos animales. Algunos felinos, como los gatos, tienen uñas retráctiles. Tipo de vasija o caja especial destinada a guardar objetos de valor o las cenizas de los muertos (urna funeraria).

Where the spellings diverge

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

3 ch
uña
4 ch
urna

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

uña and urna form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31718, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

uña is recorded at frequency rank #16,473, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈuɲa]. urna is at rank #15,245, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈuɾna].

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 31718, this pair ranks #205,672 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

uña#16,473
urna#15,245

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "uña" and "urna" be used interchangeably?
No, "uña" and "urna" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering uña vs urna

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 “uña” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list