Which to use
“padecer” and “parecer” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,678
- “padecer” frequency rank
- #1,325
- “parecer” frequency rank
- 17003
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | padecer | parecer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sufrir un daño de cualquier clase, como una carga, un mal o una enfermedad | Tener cierto aspecto o apariencia; verse o ser considerado de determinada manera. |
Where the eye mixes padecer and parecer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. padecer and parecer follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses padecer with parecer
A purely visual mix-up. padecer ([pað̞eˈseɾ]) and parecer ([paɾeˈseɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - d in “padecer” becomes r in “parecer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17003, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
padecer is recorded at frequency rank #15,678, classified as averb, pronounced [pað̞eˈseɾ]. parecer is at rank #1,325, tagged as averb, pronounced [paɾeˈseɾ].
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 17003, this pair ranks #273,935 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of padecer vs parecer
Shared letters: acepr. Private to "padecer": d. Private to "parecer": -.
"padecer" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "parecer" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "padecer" and "parecer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "padecer" or "parecer"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "padecer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "parecer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #273,935 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "padecer" and "parecer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "padecer vs padeció". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #273,935 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.