Which to use
“picado” is an adjective and “pinchado” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,669
- “picado” frequency rank
- #46,122
- “pinchado” frequency rank
- 58791
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | picado | pinchado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Epíteto del patrón que se hace con picaduras para señalar un dibujo. | Participio de pinchar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set picado and pinchado apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: picado is [piˈkað̞o] while pinchado is [pĩnʲˈt͡ʃað̞o]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58791, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
picado is recorded at frequency rank #12,669, classified as anadj, pronounced [piˈkað̞o]. pinchado is at rank #46,122, tagged as averb, pronounced [pĩnʲˈt͡ʃað̞o].
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 58791, this pair ranks #65,129 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of picado vs pinchado
Shared letters: acdiop. Private to "picado": -. Private to "pinchado": hn.
"picado" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "pinchado" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "picado" and "pinchado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "picado" or "pinchado"?
Remembering picado vs pinchado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “picado”; for a verb, it's “pinchado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “picado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable