Which to use
“pesar” is a noun and “picar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,088
- “pesar” frequency rank
- #26,144
- “picar” frequency rank
- 35232
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pesar | picar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | condolência | dar picadas em |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pesar and picar apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: pesar is /pɨ.ˈzaɾ/ while picar is /pi.ˈkaɾ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35232, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pesar is recorded at frequency rank #9,088, classified as anoun, pronounced /pɨ.ˈzaɾ/. picar is at rank #26,144, tagged as averb, pronounced /pi.ˈkaɾ/.
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 35232, this pair ranks #31,843 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pesar vs picar
Shared letters: apr. Private to "pesar": es. Private to "picar": ci.
"pesar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "picar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pesar" and "picar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pesar" or "picar"?
Remembering pesar vs picar
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “pesar”; for a verb, it's “picar”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pesar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable