Which to use
“past” is an adjective and “push” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,289
- “past” frequency rank
- #32,362
- “push” frequency rank
- 70651
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | past | push |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pasado, que ocurrió en el pasado. | Empujar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set past and push apart are highlighted. They share 2 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: past is /pɑːst/ while push is /pʊʃ/. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70651, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
past is recorded at frequency rank #38,289, classified as anadj, pronounced /pɑːst/. push is at rank #32,362, tagged as averb, pronounced /pʊʃ/.
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 70651, this pair ranks #29,222 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of past vs push
Shared letters: ps. Private to "past": at. Private to "push": hu.
"past" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "push" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "past" and "push" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "past" or "push"?
Remembering past vs push
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “past”; for a verb, it's “push”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “past” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable