Which to use
“pal” is a contraction and “Per” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,692
- “pal” frequency rank
- #3,203
- “Per” frequency rank
- 12895
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pal | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Contracción de la preposición para y el artículo el | Pedro. Nombre propio de hombre. |
Where the eye mixes pal and Per
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between pal and Per
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: pal is [ˈpal] while Per is [ˈpæːr]. 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 (contraction vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12895, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pal is recorded at frequency rank #9,692, classified as acontraction, pronounced [ˈpal]. Per is at rank #3,203, tagged as aname, pronounced [ˈpæːr].
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 12895, this pair ranks #289,878 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pal vs Per
Shared letters: p. Private to "pal": al. Private to "Per": er.
"pal" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "Per" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pal" for "Per" ever safe?
Which is more common, "pal" or "Per"?
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 "pal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Per" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #289,878 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pal" and "Per" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pal vs PRC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #289,878 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.