padecenvspareceWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,190
“padecen” frequency rank
#166
“parece” frequency rank
15356
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature padecen parece
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de padecer. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de parecer o de parecerse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set padecen and parece apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
padecen
6 ch
parece

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

padecen and parece form a confusable pair in the Spanish 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 15356, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

padecen is recorded at frequency rank #15,190, classified as averb, pronounced [paˈð̞esẽn]. parece is at rank #166, tagged as averb, pronounced [paˈɾese].

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 15356, this pair ranks #280,494 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

padecen#15,190
parece#166

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "padecen" and "parece" be used interchangeably?
No, "padecen" and "parece" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering padecen vs parece

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 “padecen” 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