Which to use
“vado” is a noun and “vais” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #40,589
- “vado” frequency rank
- #7,934
- “vais” frequency rank
- 48523
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vado | vais |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sitio firme, parejo y de poca profundidad, por donde se puede cruzar un río. | Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de ir o de irse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vado and vais apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vado is [ˈbað̞o] while vais is [ˈbajs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48523, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vado is recorded at frequency rank #40,589, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbað̞o]. vais is at rank #7,934, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbajs].
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 48523, this pair ranks #114,014 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of vado vs vais
Shared letters: av. Private to "vado": do. Private to "vais": is.
"vado" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "vais" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vado" and "vais" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vado" or "vais"?
Remembering vado vs vais
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “vado”; for a verb, it's “vais”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “vado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable