VarelavsvaricelaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Varela is a name, varicela is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Varela” is a name and “varicela” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#8,892
“Varela” frequency rank
#43,923
“varicela” frequency rank
52815
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Varela varicela
Definition Apellido Enfermedad contagiosa causada por el virus varicela-zoster, un virus de la familia de los herpesvirus que también es el causante del herpes zóster. Es una de las enfermedades clásicas de la infancia, que en los niños suele ser leve pero en adolescentes y adultos tiene mayor riesgo de complicaciones. La enfermedad dura alrededor de una semana.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Varela and varicela apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Varela
8 ch
varicela

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Varela is [baˈɾela] while varicela is [baɾiˈsela]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52815, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Varela is recorded at frequency rank #8,892, classified as aname, pronounced [baˈɾela]. varicela is at rank #43,923, tagged as anoun, pronounced [baɾiˈsela].

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 52815, this pair ranks #90,850 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Varela vs varicela

Shared letters: aelrv. Private to "Varela": -. Private to "varicela": ci.

"Varela" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "varicela" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Varelaavrela · barela · vaerla · vareal · varella · varlea · varrela · vraela
  • varicelaavricela · baricela · vaircela · varciela · variccela · variceal · varicella · variclea

Frequency comparison

Varela#8,892
varicela#43,923

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Varela" and "varicela" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Varela" is a name and "varicela" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Varela" or "varicela"?
"Varela" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,892 in our Spanish list, against #43,923 for "varicela". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Varela vs varicela

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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