chiclevschocloWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,788
“chicle” frequency rank
#42,881
“choclo” frequency rank
57669
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature chicle choclo
Definition Tipo de goma o pastilla con sabores que se emplea para masticar o mascar y no se traga. Mazorca de maíz tierno, en particular la que se consume hervida en agua o asada.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
chicle
6 ch
choclo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. chicle ([ˈt͡ʃikle]) and choclo ([ˈt͡ʃoklo]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57669, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

chicle is recorded at frequency rank #14,788, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡ʃikle]. choclo is at rank #42,881, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡ʃoklo].

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 57669, this pair ranks #69,568 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of chicle vs choclo

Shared letters: chl. Private to "chicle": ei. Private to "choclo": o.

"chicle" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV  ·  "choclo" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • chiclecchicle · chcile · chhicle · chiccle · chicel · chiclle · chilce · cihcle
  • choclocchoclo · chcolo · chhoclo · chocclo · chocllo · chocol · cholco · cohclo

Frequency comparison

chicle#14,788
choclo#42,881

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "chicle" and "choclo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt͡ʃikle] versus [ˈt͡ʃoklo]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "chicle" or "choclo"?
"chicle" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,788 in our Spanish list, against #42,881 for "choclo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering chicle vs choclo

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 “chicle” 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