pensastevspersisteWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

“pensaste” and “persiste” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#16,933
“pensaste” frequency rank
#16,177
“persiste” frequency rank
33110
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pensaste persiste
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de pensar. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de persistir.

Where the eye mixes pensaste and persiste

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

8 ch
pensaste
8 ch
persiste

Look-alike desk: pensaste vs persiste

A purely visual mix-up. pensaste ([pẽnˈsast̪e]) and persiste ([peɾˈsist̪e]) 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 33110, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pensaste is recorded at frequency rank #16,933, classified as averb, pronounced [pẽnˈsast̪e]. persiste is at rank #16,177, tagged as averb, pronounced [peɾˈsist̪e].

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 33110, this pair ranks #198,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of pensaste vs persiste

Shared letters: epst. Private to "pensaste": an. Private to "persiste": ir.

"pensaste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV  ·  "persiste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pensasteepnsaste · penasste · pennsaste · pensaset · pensasste · pensastte · pensatse · penssaste
  • persisteeprsiste · perciste · perisste · perrsiste · persiset · persisste · persistte · persitse

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pensaste" and "persiste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pẽnˈsast̪e] versus [peɾˈsist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "pensaste" vs "persiste" - which ranks higher?
"persiste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,177 in our Spanish list, against #16,933 for "pensaste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "pensaste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "persiste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #198,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "pensaste" and "persiste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pegaste vs pensaste". 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 #198,535 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list