recto

[ˈrekt̪o]

/[ˈrekt̪o]/ adj

The verdict

“recto” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #10,058 in Spanish word frequency and used as an adjective.

#10,058
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Que tiene la forma que sigue el camino más corto entre dos puntos, sin inclinarse, ni torcerse, ni cambiar de dirección.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

recto vs reo
60% similar
recto vs rico
60% similar
recto vs reto
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for recto
PropertyValue
Headwordrecto
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈrekt̪o]
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,058
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recto” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). recto lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for recto is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈrekt̪o]. Corpus data places it at rank #10,058 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for recto, with forms such as "ercto", "rceto", and "reccto". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "reo", "rico", "reto", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is recto, spelled R-E-C-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Que tiene la forma que sigue el camino más corto entre dos puntos, sin inclinarse, ni torcerse, ni cambiar de dirección.
  2. 2
    Se dice del movimiento que sigue este camino.
  3. 3
    Que es vertical, sin inclinarse ni desviarse hacia ningún lado.
  4. 4
    Se dice de la ropa, o parte de ella, sin pliegues, dobleces ni vuelos.
  5. 5
    Que tiene una conducta intachable, justa, firme, que cumple con su deber.
  6. 6
    Que es lo más apropiado para cierto fin.
  7. 7
    Sentido no figurado o translaticio de las palabras, cuando estas pueden interpretarse de más de una forma.
  8. 8
    Hablando de un cuaderno, libro o texto escrito presentado de forma similar, cuando está abierto, lo que queda en la mitad derecha.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ercto,rceto,reccto,recot,rectto,retco,rrecto

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recto - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ercto2rceto2reccto1recot2rectto1retco2rrecto1
Edit distance from "recto"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "recto"?
"recto" is spelled R-E-C-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈrekt̪o].
What does "recto" mean?
As an adjective, "recto" means: Que tiene la forma que sigue el camino más corto entre dos puntos, sin inclinarse, ni torcerse, ni cambiar de dirección.
What words are commonly confused with "recto"?
"recto" is commonly confused with "reo", "rico", "reto". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recto"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recto" is [ˈrekt̪o]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "recto" come from?
"recto" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “recto”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is R-E-C-T-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈrekt̪o] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “reo” - see the side-by-side comparison. recto vs reo
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list