Which to use
“pagan” is a verb and “pagana” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,867
- “pagan” frequency rank
- #37,245
- “pagana” frequency rank
- 41112
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pagan | pagana |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de pagar o de pagarse. | Pieza de madera de roble de treinta pies de longitud y con una escuadría de doce pulgadas de tabla por diez de canto. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pagan and pagana apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: pagan is [ˈpaɣ̞ãn] while pagana is [paˈɣ̞ana]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “pagan” sits inside “pagana”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41112, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pagan is recorded at frequency rank #3,867, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈpaɣ̞ãn]. pagana is at rank #37,245, tagged as anoun, pronounced [paˈɣ̞ana].
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 41112, this pair ranks #155,460 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pagan vs pagana
Shared letters: agnp. Private to "pagan": -. Private to "pagana": -.
"pagan" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "pagana" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pagan" and "pagana" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pagan" or "pagana"?
Remembering pagan vs pagana
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “pagan”; for a noun, it's “pagana”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pagan” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable