álgidovsávidoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“álgido” and “ávido” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#35,835
“álgido” frequency rank
#35,837
“ávido” frequency rank
71672
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature álgido ávido
Definition De una temperatura muy inferior a la normal o deseable; extremadamente frío. Que siente un fuerte e intenso deseo de conseguir o hacer algo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set álgido and ávido apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
álgido
5 ch
ávido

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. álgido ([ˈalxið̞o]) and ávido ([ˈaβ̞ið̞o]) 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 71672, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

álgido is recorded at frequency rank #35,835, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈalxið̞o]. ávido is at rank #35,837, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈaβ̞ið̞o].

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 71672, this pair ranks #26,995 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of álgido vs ávido

Shared letters: dioá. Private to "álgido": gl. Private to "ávido": v.

"álgido" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV  ·  "ávido" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV

Frequency comparison

álgido#35,835
ávido#35,837

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "álgido" and "ávido" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈalxið̞o] versus [ˈaβ̞ið̞o]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "álgido" or "ávido"?
"álgido" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,835 in our Spanish list, against #35,837 for "ávido". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering álgido vs ávido

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “álgido” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

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