pato

[ˈpat̪o]

/[ˈpat̪o]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“pato” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #7,894 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,894
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ave palmípeda del orden de las anseriformes, que se encuentra en estado silvestre y es domesticada para aprovechar sus huevos, plumas y carne.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pato vs po
50% similar
pato vs PT
0% similar
pato vs paz
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pato
PropertyValue
Headwordpato
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈpat̪o]
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,894
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pato” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). pato lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for pato is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpat̪o]. Corpus data places it at rank #7,894 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for pato, with forms such as "paot", "patto", and "ppato". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "po", "PT", "paz", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is pato, spelled P-A-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ave palmípeda del orden de las anseriformes, que se encuentra en estado silvestre y es domesticada para aprovechar sus huevos, plumas y carne.
  2. 2
    Tiesto que permite orinar a los enfermos en los hospitales y clínicas, sin bajarse de la cama.
  3. 3
    Tiesto para recoger excrementos de los enfermos.
  4. 4
    Hombre que siente atracción sexual por personas de su mismo sexo biológico.
  5. 5
    Individuo patoso, sin gracia y torpe.
  6. 6
    Juego tradicional argentino en que dos equipos de jinetes se disputan una canasta que tiene un pato₁ en su interior con el objetivo de hacerlo pasar por un aro puesto en la línea de fondo del equipo rival. En su versión reglamentada participan cuatro jinetes por equipo y el "pato" es un objeto circular de seis asas.
  7. 7
    Persona que asiste a una fiesta sin ser invitada.^([cita requerida]).
  8. 8
    El contenido de un vaso grande de vino.
  9. 9
    Persona víctima de pullas y burlas.

Synonyms

ánadechatabacinicacuñagorrónpirataparacaidistaarroceropuerquitosopita

This word in other languages

duck(English)canard(Français)Ente(Deutsch)pato(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: paot,patto,ppato,ptao

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pato - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

paot2patto1ppato1ptao2
Edit distance from "pato"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pato"?
"pato" is spelled P-A-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpat̪o].
What does "pato" mean?
As a noun, "pato" means: Ave palmípeda del orden de las anseriformes, que se encuentra en estado silvestre y es domesticada para aprovechar sus huevos, plumas y carne.
What words are commonly confused with "pato"?
"pato" is commonly confused with "po", "PT", "paz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pato"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pato" is [ˈpat̪o]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pato" come from?
"pato" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “pato”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-A-T-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈpat̪o] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “po” - see the side-by-side comparison. pato vs po
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list