pésamevspesarWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: pésame is a noun, pesar is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“pésame” is a noun and “pesar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#20,484
“pésame” frequency rank
#526
“pesar” frequency rank
21010
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pésame pesar
Definition Expresión con que se manifiesta el sentimiento de pena o aflicción por el fallecimiento de una persona. El pésame se da a los familiares más cercanos del fallecido, muy en particular al cónyuge, hermanos, padres e hijos. Establecer el peso o la masa de algo, en particular empleando un instrumento para tal efecto.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pésame and pesar apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
pésame
5 ch
pesar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

pésame and pesar 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 21010, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pésame is recorded at frequency rank #20,484, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpesame]. pesar is at rank #526, tagged as averb, pronounced [peˈsaɾ].

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 21010, this pair ranks #256,804 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

pésame#20,484
pesar#526

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pésame" and "pesar" be used interchangeably?
No, "pésame" and "pesar" 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 pésame vs pesar

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “pésame”; for a verb, it's “pesar”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pésame” 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