pistolavspistolasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,217
“pistola” frequency rank
#12,218
“pistolas” frequency rank
18435
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pistola pistolas
Definition Arma de fuego con cargador automático para corta distancia. Forma del plural de pistola.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pistola and pistolas apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
pistola
8 ch
pistolas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pistola ([pisˈt̪ola]) and pistolas ([pisˈt̪olas]) 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 extra letter(s) - “pistola” sits inside “pistolas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18435, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pistola is recorded at frequency rank #6,217, classified as anoun, pronounced [pisˈt̪ola]. pistolas is at rank #12,218, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pisˈt̪olas].

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 18435, this pair ranks #267,925 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of pistola vs pistolas

Shared letters: ailopst. Private to "pistola": -. Private to "pistolas": -.

"pistola" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "pistolas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pistolaipstola · pisotla · pisstola · pistloa · pistoal · pistolla · pisttola · pitsola
  • pistolasipstolas · pisotlas · pisstolas · pistloas · pistoals · pistolass · pistollas · pistolsa

Frequency comparison

pistola#6,217
pistolas#12,218

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pistola" and "pistolas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pisˈt̪ola] versus [pisˈt̪olas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pistola" or "pistolas"?
"pistola" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,217 in our Spanish list, against #12,218 for "pistolas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pistola vs pistolas

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 “pistola” 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