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 eye mixes persiste and persistir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. persiste runs 8 letters (CVCCVCCV) against persistir's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: persiste vs persistir
A purely visual mix-up. persiste ([peɾˈsist̪e]) 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 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.
Orthographic DNA of persiste vs persistir
Shared letters: eiprst. Private to "persiste": -. Private to "persistir": -.
"persiste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "persistir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "persiste" for "persistir" ever safe?
Frequency check: "persiste" vs "persistir" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "persiste" 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 #90,426 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "persiste" 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 #90,426 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.