# patter vs pester

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### patter
*noun · IPA /ˈpæt.ə/ · frequency rank #38,547*
A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.

### pester
*verb · IPA /ˈpɛstə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #48,966*
To bother, harass, or annoy persistently.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patter-vs-pester