áticovsátomoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: ático is a adjective, átomo is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“ático” is an adjective and “átomo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#18,421
“ático” frequency rank
#21,203
“átomo” frequency rank
39624
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ático átomo
Definition Originario, relativo a, o propio de Ática, en Grecia Partícula más pequeña posible de un elemento químico que conserva su identidad o sus propiedades.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ático and átomo apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
ático
5 ch
átomo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ático is [ˈat̪iko] while átomo is [ˈat̪omo]. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ático is recorded at frequency rank #18,421, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈat̪iko]. átomo is at rank #21,203, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈat̪omo].

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 39624, this pair ranks #163,529 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ático vs átomo

Shared letters: otá. Private to "ático": ci. Private to "átomo": m.

"ático" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV  ·  "átomo" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV

Frequency comparison

ático#18,421
átomo#21,203

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ático" and "átomo" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "ático" is an adjective and "átomo" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "ático" or "átomo"?
"ático" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,421 in our Spanish list, against #21,203 for "átomo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ático vs átomo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “ático”; for a noun, it's “átomo”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ático” 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