Which to use
“pagan” is a verb and “patán” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,867
- “pagan” frequency rank
- #39,908
- “patán” frequency rank
- 43775
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pagan | patán |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de pagar o de pagarse. | Falto de inteligencia y cultura. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pagan and patán apart are highlighted. They share 3 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 patán is [paˈt̪ãn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43775, 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]. patán is at rank #39,908, tagged as anadj, pronounced [paˈt̪ãn].
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 43775, this pair ranks #140,778 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pagan vs patán
Shared letters: anp. Private to "pagan": g. Private to "patán": tá.
"pagan" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "patán" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- pagan ← apgan · paagn · pagann · paggan · pagna · pgaan · ppagan
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pagan" and "patán" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pagan" or "patán"?
Remembering pagan vs patán
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “pagan”; for an adjective, it's “patán”.
- 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