Which to use
“laca” and “lava” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,502
- “laca” frequency rank
- #3,702
- “lava” frequency rank
- 52204
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | laca | lava |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | resina ou goma resinosa obtida de certas árvores no Oriente | designação dada ao material geológico em fusão, com temperatura em geral entre os 600 °C e os 1 250 °C, que um vulcão expele durante uma erupção |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laca and lava apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. laca (/ˈla.kɐ/) and lava (/ˈla.vɐ/) 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 a single letter - c in “laca” becomes v in “lava”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52204, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
laca is recorded at frequency rank #48,502, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈla.kɐ/. lava is at rank #3,702, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈla.vɐ/.
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 52204, this pair ranks #12,945 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of laca vs lava
Shared letters: al. Private to "laca": c. Private to "lava": v.
"laca" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "lava" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "laca" and "lava" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "laca" or "lava"?
Remembering laca vs lava
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “laca” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable