pimentónvspimientoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#38,302
“pimentón” frequency rank
#24,601
“pimiento” frequency rank
62903
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pimentón pimiento
Definition Polvo que se obtiene moliendo el pimiento colorado seco, que se emplea como condimento. Fruto en baya de cualquier especie del género Capsicum, que comprende varias especies de plantas solanáceas oriundas del continente americano; se consume en diferentes preparaciones y se emplea como medicina. Varía en coloración y tamaño de acuerdo a la variedad; puede ser cúbico, cónico o esférico. De interior hueco, está dividido en dos o cuatro costillas verticales interiores que portan las semillas; cuando madura sus colores abarcan, según la especie, desde el blanco y el amarillo hasta el morado intenso, pasando por el naranja, el rojo brillante y el lavanda; el color verde es señal de inmadurez, aunque muchas especies se consumen también de ese modo. Se ingieren crudos o cocidos en innumerables preparaciones. Muchas variedades son de sabor intensamente picante por su alto contenido en capsaicina, único rasgo en común que portan con la pimienta.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pimentón and pimiento apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
pimentón
8 ch
pimiento

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pimentón ([pimẽn̪ˈt̪õn]) and pimiento ([piˈmjẽn̪t̪o]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 5 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62903, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pimentón is recorded at frequency rank #38,302, classified as anoun, pronounced [pimẽn̪ˈt̪õn]. pimiento is at rank #24,601, tagged as anoun, pronounced [piˈmjẽn̪t̪o].

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 62903, this pair ranks #50,480 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of pimentón vs pimiento

Shared letters: eimnpt. Private to "pimentón": ó. Private to "pimiento": o.

"pimentón" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "pimiento" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pimientoipmiento · piimento · pimeinto · pimiennto · pimienot · pimientto · pimietno · pimineto

Frequency comparison

pimentón#38,302
pimiento#24,601

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pimentón" and "pimiento" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pimẽn̪ˈt̪õn] versus [piˈmjẽn̪t̪o]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pimentón" or "pimiento"?
"pimiento" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #24,601 in our Spanish list, against #38,302 for "pimentón". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pimentón vs pimiento

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 “pimentón” 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