Which to use
“permitir” and “persistir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,411
- “permitir” frequency rank
- #36,742
- “persistir” frequency rank
- 39153
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | permitir | persistir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dar su consentimiento quien tenga autoridad competente, para que otros hagan de dejen de hacer algo. | Permanecer a pesar de los intentos por que algo se vaya o desaparezca. |
Where the eye mixes permitir and persistir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. permitir runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against persistir's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between permitir and persistir
A purely visual mix-up. permitir ([peɾmiˈt̪iɾ]) and persistir ([peɾsisˈt̪iɾ]) 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 39153, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
permitir is recorded at frequency rank #2,411, classified as averb, pronounced [peɾmiˈt̪iɾ]. persistir is at rank #36,742, tagged as averb, pronounced [peɾsisˈt̪iɾ].
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 39153, this pair ranks #166,127 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of permitir vs persistir
Shared letters: eiprt. Private to "permitir": m. Private to "persistir": s.
"permitir" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "persistir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "permitir" and "persistir" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "permitir" or "persistir"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "permitir" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "persistir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #166,127 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "permitir" and "persistir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "persisten vs persistir". 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 #166,127 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.