Which to use
“pensar” and “pesar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #450
- “pensar” frequency rank
- #526
- “pesar” frequency rank
- 976
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pensar | pesar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ejercitar el intelecto para explicarse o imaginarse algo o para concebir ideas. | Establecer el peso o la masa de algo, en particular empleando un instrumento para tal efecto. |
Where the eye mixes pensar and pesar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: pensar vs pesar
A purely visual mix-up. pensar ([pẽnˈsaɾ]) and pesar ([peˈsaɾ]) 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 976, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pensar is recorded at frequency rank #450, classified as averb, pronounced [pẽnˈsaɾ]. pesar is at rank #526, tagged as averb, pronounced [peˈsaɾ].
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 976, this pair ranks #322,732 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pensar vs pesar
Shared letters: aeprs. Private to "pensar": n. Private to "pesar": -.
"pensar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "pesar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pensar" for "pesar" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "pensar" or "pesar" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "pensar" and "pesar" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "pensar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pesar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #322,732 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pensar" and "pesar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pesar vs petar". 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 #322,732 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.