persistevspersistirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,177
“persiste” frequency rank
#36,742
“persistir” frequency rank
52919
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature persiste persistir
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de persistir. Permanecer a pesar de los intentos por que algo se vaya o desaparezca.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set persiste and persistir apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
persiste
9 ch
persistir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

persiste and persistir form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52919, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

persiste is recorded at frequency rank #16,177, classified as averb, pronounced [peɾˈsist̪e]. 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 52919, this pair ranks #90,426 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

persiste#16,177
persistir#36,742

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "persiste" and "persistir" be used interchangeably?
No, "persiste" and "persistir" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering persiste vs persistir

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “persiste” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list