rico

[ˈriko]

/[ˈriko]/ adj

The verdict

“rico” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #976 in Spanish word frequency and used as an adjective.

#976
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dicho de una persona, que posee gran cantidad de bienes o dinero.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rico vs ro
50% similar
rico vs río
50% similar
rico vs ríe
25% similar

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

Key facts for rico
PropertyValue
Headwordrico
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈriko]
Letters4
Frequency rank#976
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rico” 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). rico 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 rico is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈriko]. Corpus data places it at rank #976 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for rico, with forms such as "irco", "rcio", and "ricco". 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, "ro", "río", "ríe", 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 explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is rico, spelled R-I-C-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dicho de una persona, que posee gran cantidad de bienes o dinero.
  2. 2
    Dicho de un bien material, de gran precio o valor.
  3. 3
    Dicho de la tierra u otro medio de producción, que produce mucho.
  4. 4
    Dicho de un alimento, de sabor agradable.
  5. 5
    Propio de o perteneciente a la nobleza.
  6. 6
    Dicho de una persona, en especial de un niño, que tiene encanto y gracia.
  7. 7
    Dicho de una persona, que tiene gran atractivo físico.
  8. 8
    Por extensión, que causa sensación de placer y alegría.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: irco,rcio,ricco,rioc,rrico

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rico - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

irco2rcio2ricco1rioc2rrico1
Edit distance from "rico"

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 "rico"?
"rico" is spelled R-I-C-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈriko].
What does "rico" mean?
As an adjective, "rico" means: Dicho de una persona, que posee gran cantidad de bienes o dinero.
What words are commonly confused with "rico"?
"rico" is commonly confused with "ro", "río", "ríe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rico"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rico" is [ˈriko]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rico" come from?
"rico" 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 “rico”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is R-I-C-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈriko] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ro” - see the side-by-side comparison. rico vs ro
  • 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