PekínvspinWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Pekín is a name, pin is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Pekín” is a name and “pin” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,015
“Pekín” frequency rank
#13,538
“pin” frequency rank
22553
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pekín pin
Definition Capital de China. Pieza de plástico o metal decorada con una insignia o un dibujo cualquiera, que se pega a la ropa como adorno, método de identificación o para hacer mención explícita de la adhesión a algún movimiento.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Pekín and pin apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Pekín
3 ch
pin

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Pekín is [peˈkĩn] while pin is [ˈpĩn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22553, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pekín is recorded at frequency rank #9,015, classified as aname, pronounced [peˈkĩn]. pin is at rank #13,538, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpĩn].

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 22553, this pair ranks #249,785 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pekín vs pin

Shared letters: np. Private to "Pekín": ekí. Private to "pin": i.

"Pekín" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "pin" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

Pekín#9,015
pin#13,538

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pekín" and "pin" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Pekín" is a name and "pin" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Pekín" or "pin"?
"Pekín" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,015 in our Spanish list, against #13,538 for "pin". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Pekín vs pin

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a name, it's “Pekín”; for a noun, it's “pin”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Pekín” 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