Which to use
“va” is a verb and “van” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #98
- “va” frequency rank
- #260
- “van” frequency rank
- 358
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | va | van |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de ir. | Vehículo automóvil, de chasis alargado y mayor que el de un turismo, que se emplea para cargas o, a modo de un ómnibus pequeño, para pasajeros. |
Where the eye mixes va and van
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between va and van
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: va is [ˈba] while van is [ˈbãn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “va” sits inside “van”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 358, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
va is recorded at frequency rank #98, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈba]. van is at rank #260, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈbãn].
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 358, this pair ranks #323,509 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of va vs van
Shared letters: av. Private to "va": -. Private to "van": n.
"va" · 2 letters · shape CV · "van" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "va" for "van" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "va" or "van" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "va" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "van" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,509 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "va" and "van" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "van vs VOR". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #323,509 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.