Which to use
“pude” and “puede” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,828
- “pude” frequency rank
- #60
- “puede” frequency rank
- 1888
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pude | puede |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de poder. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de poder. |
Where the eye mixes pude and puede
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: pude vs puede
A purely visual mix-up. pude ([ˈpuð̞e]) and puede ([ˈpweð̞e]) 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 1888, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pude is recorded at frequency rank #1,828, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈpuð̞e]. puede is at rank #60, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈpweð̞e].
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 1888, this pair ranks #321,325 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pude vs puede
Shared letters: depu. Private to "pude": -. Private to "puede": -.
"pude" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "puede" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pude" for "puede" ever safe?
Which is more common, "pude" or "puede"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "pude" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "puede" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #321,325 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pude" and "puede" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pele vs pude". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #321,325 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.