Which to use
“picar” is a verb and “pícara” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,348
- “picar” frequency rank
- #46,151
- “pícara” frequency rank
- 64499
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | picar | pícara |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Golpear algo con una punta, agujereándolo o no. | Forma del femenino singular de pícaro. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set picar and pícara 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: picar is [piˈkaɾ] while pícara is [ˈpikaɾa]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64499, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
picar is recorded at frequency rank #18,348, classified as averb, pronounced [piˈkaɾ]. pícara is at rank #46,151, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈpikaɾa].
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 64499, this pair ranks #45,405 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of picar vs pícara
Shared letters: acpr. Private to "picar": i. Private to "pícara": í.
"picar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "pícara" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- picar ← ipcar · pciar · piacr · picarr · piccar · picra · ppicar
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "picar" and "pícara" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "picar" or "pícara"?
Remembering picar vs pícara
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “picar”; for an adjective, it's “pícara”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “picar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable