Which to use
“pésame” is a noun and “pésima” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,484
- “pésame” frequency rank
- #14,686
- “pésima” frequency rank
- 35170
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pésame | pésima |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Forma del femenino singular de pésimo. |
Where the eye mixes pésame and pésima
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. pésame and pésima follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses pésame with pésima
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: pésame is [ˈpesame] while pésima is [ˈpesima]. 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 (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35170, 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]. pésima is at rank #14,686, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈpesima].
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 35170, this pair ranks #187,529 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pésame vs pésima
Shared letters: ampsé. Private to "pésame": e. Private to "pésima": i.
"pésame" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "pésima" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pésame" and "pésima" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pésame" or "pésima"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "pésame" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pésima" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #187,529 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pésame" and "pésima" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pesadez vs pésame". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #187,529 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.