Which to use
“paella” is a noun and “pilla” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,549
- “paella” frequency rank
- #23,541
- “pilla” frequency rank
- 50090
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | paella | pilla |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plato cuyos ingredientes básicos son el arroz, el azafrán y el aceite de oliva. Se trata de un sofrito de carne (pollo o conejo), verduras (tomate, judía verde, pimiento), azafrán y aceite, al cual se añade agua y tras un tiempo de cocción, se añade el arroz, continuando la cocción hasta que el arroz absorba todo el caldo. Es típico de Valencia, España, pero tiene numerosas versiones alrededor del mundo. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de pillar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set paella and pilla apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
paella and pilla 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 50090, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
paella is recorded at frequency rank #26,549, classified as anoun, pronounced [paˈeʝa]. pilla is at rank #23,541, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈpiʝa].
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 50090, this pair ranks #105,153 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "paella" and "pilla" be used interchangeably?
Remembering paella vs pilla
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “paella”; for a verb, it's “pilla”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “paella” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable