tercero

[t̪eɾˈseɾo]

/[t̪eɾˈseɾo]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“tercero” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #3,024 in Spanish word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,024
frequency rank, Spanish
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Que en una serie de tres o más cosas, personas o animales, ocupa el lugar número tres en importancia, valor, ubicación, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tercero vs terco
71% similar
tercero vs tercio
71% similar
tercero vs torero
71% similar

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

Key facts for tercero
PropertyValue
Headwordtercero
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[t̪eɾˈseɾo]
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,024
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tercero” 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). tercero 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 tercero is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t̪eɾˈseɾo]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,024 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for tercero, with forms such as "etrcero", "tecrero", and "terccero". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "terco", "tercio", "torero", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is tercero, spelled T-E-R-C-E-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Que en una serie de tres o más cosas, personas o animales, ocupa el lugar número tres en importancia, valor, ubicación, etc.
  2. 2
    El que arbitra o media entre dos partes.
  3. 3
    Dicho de una parte o porción, que es una de las tres en que está dividido algo.
  4. 4
    Se dice de varias órdenes religiosas católicas, compuestas sobre todo por seglares, como las de nuestra señora del Carmen, santo Domingo y san Francisco.
  5. 5
    Se dice de los miembros de varias órdenes religiosas católicas, compuestas sobre todo por seglares, como las de nuestra señora del Carmen, santo Domingo y san Francisco.

Synonyms

intercesormediadortercio

This word in other languages

third(English)troisième(Français)dritte(Deutsch)terceiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etrcero,tecrero,terccero,terceor,tercerro,tercreo,terecro,terrcero,tersero,trecero,ttercero

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tercero - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

etrcero2tecrero2terccero1terceor2tercerro1tercreo2terecro2terrcero1
Edit distance from "tercero"

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 "tercero"?
"tercero" is spelled T-E-R-C-E-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪eɾˈseɾo].
What does "tercero" mean?
As an adjective, "tercero" means: Que en una serie de tres o más cosas, personas o animales, ocupa el lugar número tres en importancia, valor, ubicación, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "tercero"?
"tercero" is commonly confused with "terco", "tercio", "torero". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tercero"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tercero" is [t̪eɾˈseɾo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tercero" come from?
"tercero" 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 “tercero”

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

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