PáezvspesConfusable pair

Quick tell: Páez is a name, pes is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Páez” is a name and “pes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,259
“Páez” frequency rank
#20,161
“pes” frequency rank
37420
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Páez pes
Definition Apellido. Pie.

Where the eye mixes Páez and pes

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Páez runs 4 letters (CVVC) against pes's 3 (CVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

4 ch
Páez
3 ch
pes

Why the eye confuses Páez with pes

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Páez is [ˈpaes] while pes is /ˈpeːs/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37420, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Páez is recorded at frequency rank #17,259, classified as aname, pronounced [ˈpaes]. pes is at rank #20,161, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈpeːs/.

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 37420, this pair ranks #175,384 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Páez vs pes

Shared letters: ep. Private to "Páez": zá. Private to "pes": s.

"Páez" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "pes" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Páez" and "pes" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Páez" is a name and "pes" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "Páez" vs "pes" - which ranks higher?
"Páez" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,259 in our Spanish list, against #20,161 for "pes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Páez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "pes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #175,384 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Páez" and "pes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pes vs prey". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #175,384 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list