Which to use
“picada” is a noun and “pierda” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,914
- “picada” frequency rank
- #6,578
- “pierda” frequency rank
- 21492
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | picada | pierda |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Senda estrecha en los montes, y especialmente el paso en los arroyos por donde sólo se puede cruzar a caballo. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de perder o de perderse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set picada and pierda apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: picada is [piˈkað̞a] while pierda is [ˈpjeɾð̞a]. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21492, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
picada is recorded at frequency rank #14,914, classified as anoun, pronounced [piˈkað̞a]. pierda is at rank #6,578, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈpjeɾð̞a].
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 21492, this pair ranks #254,689 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of picada vs pierda
Shared letters: adip. Private to "picada": c. Private to "pierda": er.
"picada" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "pierda" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "picada" and "pierda" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "picada" or "pierda"?
Remembering picada vs pierda
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “picada”; for a verb, it's “pierda”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “picada” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable