Which to use
“picota” and “pista” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,373
- “picota” frequency rank
- #2,414
- “pista” frequency rank
- 46787
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | picota | pista |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Rollo o columna de piedra o de fábrica, que había a la entrada de algunos lugares, donde se exponían las cabezas de los ajusticiados, o los reos, a la vergüenza. | Rastro de los animales o personas al ir de un lugar a otro. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set picota and pista apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. picota ([piˈkot̪a]) and pista ([ˈpist̪a]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46787, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
picota is recorded at frequency rank #44,373, classified as anoun, pronounced [piˈkot̪a]. pista is at rank #2,414, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpist̪a].
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 46787, this pair ranks #123,739 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of picota vs pista
Shared letters: aipt. Private to "picota": co. Private to "pista": s.
"picota" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "pista" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "picota" and "pista" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "picota" or "pista"?
Remembering picota vs pista
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 “picota” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable