Which to use
“patín” and “patito” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,109
- “patín” frequency rank
- #27,713
- “patito” frequency rank
- 73822
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patín | patito |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Petrel. | Diminutivo de pato. |
Where the eye mixes patín and patito
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. patín runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against patito's 6 (CVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses patín with patito
A purely visual mix-up. patín ([paˈt̪ĩn]) and patito ([paˈt̪it̪o]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73822, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patín is recorded at frequency rank #46,109, classified as anoun, pronounced [paˈt̪ĩn]. patito is at rank #27,713, tagged as anoun, pronounced [paˈt̪it̪o].
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 73822, this pair ranks #22,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of patín vs patito
Shared letters: apt. Private to "patín": ní. Private to "patito": io.
"patín" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "patito" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- patito ← aptito · paitto · patiot · patitto · pattito · ppatito · ptaito
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "patín" for "patito" ever safe?
Frequency check: "patín" vs "patito" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "patín" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "patito" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #22,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "patín" and "patito" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "partían vs patín". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #22,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.