Which to use
“pat” and “pei” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,422
- “pat” frequency rank
- #45,496
- “pei” frequency rank
- 59918
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pat | pei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cazón. | Decimoséptima letra del alfabeto hebreo |
Where the eye mixes pat and pei
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between pat and pei
A purely visual mix-up. pat (/pat/) and pei ([ˈpej]) 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 59918, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pat is recorded at frequency rank #14,422, classified as anoun, pronounced /pat/. pei is at rank #45,496, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpej].
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 59918, this pair ranks #60,824 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of pat vs pei
Shared letters: p. Private to "pat": at. Private to "pei": ei.
"pat" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "pei" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "pat" and "pei" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "pat" or "pei"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "pat" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pei" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #60,824 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pat" and "pei" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pei vs prey". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #60,824 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.