picar

[piˈkaɾ]

/[piˈkaɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“picar” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #18,348 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,348
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Golpear algo con una punta, agujereándolo o no.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

picar vs pico
60% similar
picar vs pila
60% similar
picar vs pida
60% similar

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

Key facts for picar
PropertyValue
Headwordpicar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[piˈkaɾ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,348
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “picar” 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). picar 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 picar is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [piˈkaɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #18,348 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for picar, with forms such as "ipcar", "pciar", and "piacr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pico", "pila", "pida", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is picar, spelled P-I-C-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Golpear algo con una punta, agujereándolo o no.
  2. 2
    Cortar en pedazos muy pequeños.
  3. 3
    Irritar o provocar a alguien.
  4. 4
    Herir levemente con instrumento punzante.
  5. 5
    Recibir el picador al toro con la garrocha.
  6. 6
    Morder, hablando de aves, insectos y reptiles.
  7. 7
    Pinchar.
  8. 8
    Espolear al caballo.
  9. 9
    Aguijonear al ganado.
  10. 10
    Adiestrar el picador al caballo.
  11. 11
    Hacer mal a un caballo.
  12. 12
    Exasperar a alguno, provocarlo, herir su susceptibilidad.
  13. 13
    Moler o desmenuzar.
  14. 14
    Perseguir al enemigo que se retira, acosando su retaguardia.
  15. 15
    Cortar una cosa a golpe de hacha.

Synonyms

pincharpuyar

This word in other languages

puncture(English)piquer(Français)schnabulieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipcar,pciar,piacr,picarr,piccar,picra,ppicar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ipcar2pciar2piacr2picarr1piccar1picra2ppicar1
Edit distance from "picar"

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 "picar"?
"picar" is spelled P-I-C-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [piˈkaɾ].
What does "picar" mean?
As a verb, "picar" means: Golpear algo con una punta, agujereándolo o no.
What words are commonly confused with "picar"?
"picar" is commonly confused with "pico", "pila", "pida". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "picar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "picar" is [piˈkaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "picar" come from?
"picar" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “picar”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-I-C-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [piˈkaɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pico” - see the side-by-side comparison. picar vs pico
  • 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