Which to use
“vai” and “voy” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,008
- “vai” frequency rank
- #156
- “voy” frequency rank
- 39164
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vai | voy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (el, ela, vostede) del presente de indicativo de ir. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de ir o de irse. |
Where the eye mixes vai and voy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses vai with voy
A purely visual mix-up. vai ([ˈba̠j]) and voy ([ˈboj]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39164, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vai is recorded at frequency rank #39,008, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈba̠j]. voy is at rank #156, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈboj].
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 39164, this pair ranks #166,052 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of vai vs voy
Shared letters: v. Private to "vai": ai. Private to "voy": oy.
"vai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "voy" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "vai" for "voy" ever safe?
Which is more common, "vai" or "voy"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "vai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "voy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #166,052 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vai" and "voy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vai vs VOR". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #166,052 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.