Which to use
“paisa” and “pica” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,754
- “paisa” frequency rank
- #10,902
- “pica” frequency rank
- 44656
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | paisa | pica |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Amigo o compañero con quien se tiene mucha intimidad. | Lanza de 3 o más metros, compuesta de un asta con un hierro pequeño y agudo en el extremo superior. |
Where the eye mixes paisa and pica
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses paisa with pica
A purely visual mix-up. paisa ([ˈpajsa]) and pica ([ˈpika]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44656, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
paisa is recorded at frequency rank #33,754, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpajsa]. pica is at rank #10,902, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpika].
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 44656, this pair ranks #135,852 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of paisa vs pica
Shared letters: aip. Private to "paisa": s. Private to "pica": c.
"paisa" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "pica" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "paisa" and "pica" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "paisa" or "pica"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "paisa" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pica" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #135,852 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "paisa" and "pica" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "paisa vs parca". 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 #135,852 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.