padvspooWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“pad” and “poo” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#31,908
“pad” frequency rank
#43,780
“poo” frequency rank
75688
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pad poo
Definition Periférico táctil presente en las notebooks y otros dispositivos portátiles que permite el movimiento de un cursor sobre una interfaz gráfica; funciona como alternativa al mouse. Polvo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pad and poo apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
pad
3 ch
poo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pad ([ˈpað̞]) and poo ([ˈpɔ.o]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75688, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pad is recorded at frequency rank #31,908, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpað̞]. poo is at rank #43,780, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɔ.o].

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 75688, this pair ranks #19,087 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of pad vs poo

Shared letters: p. Private to "pad": ad. Private to "poo": o.

"pad" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "poo" · 3 letters · shape CVV

Frequency comparison

pad#31,908
poo#43,780

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pad" and "poo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈpað̞] versus [ˈpɔ.o]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pad" or "poo"?
"pad" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #31,908 in our Spanish list, against #43,780 for "poo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pad vs poo

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 “pad” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

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