Which to use
“por” and “pro” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12
- “por” frequency rank
- #1,421
- “pro” frequency rank
- 1433
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | por | pro |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Indica el complemento agente en la voz pasiva. | Úsase para indicar el beneficiario de una acción o iniciativa. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set por and pro apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
por and pro form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ only by swapping two adjacent letters (or ↔ ro) - a transposition the eye reads straight past - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1433, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
por is recorded at frequency rank #12, classified as aprep, pronounced [poɾ]. pro is at rank #1,421, tagged as aprep, pronounced [ˈpɾo].
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 1433, this pair ranks #322,070 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "por" and "pro" be used interchangeably?
Remembering por vs pro
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 “por” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable