Which to use
“cívica” is an adjective and “clínica” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,785
- “cívica” frequency rank
- #4,142
- “clínica” frequency rank
- 12927
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cívica | clínica |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino plural de cívico. | Parte de la medicina que enseña a observar y curar las enfermedades a la cabecera de los enfermos. |
Where the eye mixes cívica and clínica
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. cívica runs 6 letters (CVCVCV) against clínica's 7 (CCVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses cívica with clínica
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cívica is [ˈsiβ̞ika] while clínica is [ˈklinika]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cívica is recorded at frequency rank #8,785, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈsiβ̞ika]. clínica is at rank #4,142, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklinika].
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 12927, this pair ranks #289,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of cívica vs clínica
Shared letters: acií. Private to "cívica": v. Private to "clínica": ln.
"cívica" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "clínica" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "cívica" and "clínica" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "cívica" or "clínica"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "cívica" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "clínica" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #289,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cívica" and "clínica" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "clínica vs clinical". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #289,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.