pésimavspésimoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,686
“pésima” frequency rank
#11,663
“pésimo” frequency rank
26349
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pésima pésimo
Definition Forma del femenino singular de pésimo. Superlativo irregular de malo: sumamente malo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pésima and pésimo apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
pésima
6 ch
pésimo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pésima ([ˈpesima]) and pésimo ([ˈpesimo]) 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 a single letter - a in “pésima” becomes o in “pésimo”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26349, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pésima is recorded at frequency rank #14,686, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈpesima]. pésimo is at rank #11,663, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈpesimo].

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 26349, this pair ranks #232,064 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of pésima vs pésimo

Shared letters: impsé. Private to "pésima": a. Private to "pésimo": o.

"pésima" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "pésimo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Frequency comparison

pésima#14,686
pésimo#11,663

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pésima" and "pésimo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈpesima] versus [ˈpesimo]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pésima" or "pésimo"?
"pésimo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,663 in our Spanish list, against #14,686 for "pésima". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pésima vs pésimo

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 “pésima” 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