Which to use
“lapa” is a noun and “lau” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,071
- “lapa” frequency rank
- #21,230
- “lau” frequency rank
- 30301
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lapa | lau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | grande pedra ou laje que se sobressai de um rochedo, formando um refúgio | morno, tépido: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lapa and lau apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
lapa and lau form a confusable pair in the Portuguese 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 30301, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lapa is recorded at frequency rank #9,071, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈla.pɐ/. lau is at rank #21,230, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈlaʊ̯/.
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 30301, this pair ranks #38,096 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lapa" and "lau" be used interchangeably?
Remembering lapa vs lau
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “lapa”; for an adjective, it's “lau”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lapa” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable