válvulavsválvulasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,487
“válvula” frequency rank
#18,122
“válvulas” frequency rank
32609
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature válvula válvulas
Definition Membrana que permite la circulación de un fluido en un único sentido por los vasos y órganos del cuerpo. Forma del plural de válvula.

Where the eye mixes válvula and válvulas

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. válvula runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against válvulas's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
válvula
8 ch
válvulas

Visual trap between válvula and válvulas

A purely visual mix-up. válvula ([ˈbalβ̞ula]) and válvulas ([ˈbalβ̞ulas]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “válvula” sits inside “válvulas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32609, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

válvula is recorded at frequency rank #14,487, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbalβ̞ula]. válvulas is at rank #18,122, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈbalβ̞ulas].

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 32609, this pair ranks #201,090 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of válvula vs válvulas

Shared letters: aluvá. Private to "válvula": -. Private to "válvulas": s.

"válvula" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "válvulas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "válvula" for "válvulas" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈbalβ̞ula] versus [ˈbalβ̞ulas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "válvula" or "válvulas"?
"válvula" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,487 in our Spanish list, against #18,122 for "válvulas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "válvula" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "válvulas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #201,090 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "válvula" and "válvulas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vallas vs válvulas". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #201,090 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list