checkvschicoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: check is a noun, chico is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

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

#12,329
“check” frequency rank
#1,235
“chico” frequency rank
13564
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature check chico
Definition Cheque. Se dice de lo que tiene un tamaño reducido o menor en comparación con otras cosas o seres vivos.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
check
5 ch
chico

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

check and chico form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13564, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

check is recorded at frequency rank #12,329, classified as anoun, pronounced /t͡ʃɛk/. chico is at rank #1,235, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡ʃiko].

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 13564, this pair ranks #287,382 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

check#12,329
chico#1,235

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "check" and "chico" be used interchangeably?
No, "check" and "chico" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering check vs chico

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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