Which to use
“patata” is a noun and “patea” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,664
- “patata” frequency rank
- #33,758
- “patea” frequency rank
- 50422
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patata | patea |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (Solanum tuberosum) Planta herbácea, caducifolia, de la familia de las solanáceas, de tallo erecto o decumbente de hasta 1 m de largo, hojas imparipinnadas, de foliolos lanceolados, pilosas, y flores en inflorescencias terminales racemosas, de pétalos fusionados de color blanco a púrpura, que fructifican en pequeñas bayas. Se la aprecia por los tubérculos que produce su sistema radical, muy usados en gastronomía. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de patear. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set patata and patea apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: patata is [paˈt̪at̪a] while patea is [paˈt̪ea]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50422, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patata is recorded at frequency rank #16,664, classified as anoun, pronounced [paˈt̪at̪a]. patea is at rank #33,758, tagged as averb, pronounced [paˈt̪ea].
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 50422, this pair ranks #103,290 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of patata vs patea
Shared letters: apt. Private to "patata": -. Private to "patea": e.
"patata" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "patea" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "patata" and "patea" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "patata" or "patea"?
Remembering patata vs patea
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “patata”; for a verb, it's “patea”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “patata” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable