Which to use
“Per” is a name and “pro” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,203
- “Per” frequency rank
- #1,421
- “pro” frequency rank
- 4624
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Per | pro |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pedro. Nombre propio de hombre. | Úsase para indicar el beneficiario de una acción o iniciativa. |
Where the eye mixes Per and pro
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Per with pro
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Per is [ˈpæːr] while pro is [ˈpɾo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Per is recorded at frequency rank #3,203, classified as aname, pronounced [ˈpæːr]. pro is at rank #1,421, tagged as aprep, pronounced [ˈpɾo].
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 4624, this pair ranks #315,639 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Per vs pro
Shared letters: pr. Private to "Per": e. Private to "pro": o.
"Per" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "pro" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Per" for "pro" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Per" or "pro"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Per" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pro" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #315,639 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Per" and "pro" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Per vs prey". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #315,639 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.