pasivavspésimaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“pasiva” and “pésima” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#12,440
“pasiva” frequency rank
#14,686
“pésima” frequency rank
27126
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pasiva pésima
Definition Forma del femenino singular de pasivo. Forma del femenino singular de pésimo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pasiva and pésima apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
pasiva
6 ch
pésima

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pasiva ([paˈsiβ̞a]) and pésima ([ˈpesima]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27126, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pasiva is recorded at frequency rank #12,440, classified as anadj, pronounced [paˈsiβ̞a]. pésima is at rank #14,686, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈpesima].

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 27126, this pair ranks #228,338 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of pasiva vs pésima

Shared letters: aips. Private to "pasiva": v. Private to "pésima": .

"pasiva" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "pésima" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pasivaapsiva · paciva · paisva · pasiav · pasiba · pasivva · passiva · pasvia

Frequency comparison

pasiva#12,440
pésima#14,686

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pasiva" and "pésima" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([paˈsiβ̞a] versus [ˈpesima]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pasiva" or "pésima"?
"pasiva" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,440 in our Spanish list, against #14,686 for "pésima". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pasiva vs pésima

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pasiva” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list