valsvsvesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: vals is a noun, ves is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“vals” is a noun and “ves” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#22,539
“vals” frequency rank
#1,048
“ves” frequency rank
23587
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vals ves
Definition Baile de pareja, de origen alemán, que se ejecuta con movimiento giratorio y de traslación, colocando el hombre su mano derecha en la cintura de la mujer y su izquierda en la mano derecha de ella. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del presente de indicativo de ver o de verse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
vals
3 ch
ves

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

vals and ves 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 23587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vals is recorded at frequency rank #22,539, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbals]. ves is at rank #1,048, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbes].

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 23587, this pair ranks #245,080 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

vals#22,539
ves#1,048

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vals" and "ves" be used interchangeably?
No, "vals" and "ves" 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 vals vs ves

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “vals”; for a verb, it's “ves”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “vals” 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