clásicovsclínicoConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#2,547
“clásico” frequency rank
#11,926
“clínico” frequency rank
14473
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature clásico clínico
Definition Dicho de una obra o de un autor: harto conocido, digno de imitación, y que se ha convertido en un paradigma, en un referente o en un modelo a seguir. Que recibe el bautismo en la cama en la última enfermedad.

Where the eye mixes clásico and clínico

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. clásico and clínico follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVCVCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

7 ch
clásico
7 ch
clínico

Look-alike desk: clásico vs clínico

A purely visual mix-up. clásico ([ˈklasiko]) and clínico ([ˈkliniko]) 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 14473, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

clásico is recorded at frequency rank #2,547, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈklasiko]. clínico is at rank #11,926, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkliniko].

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 14473, this pair ranks #283,982 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of clásico vs clínico

Shared letters: cilo. Private to "clásico": sá. Private to "clínico": ní.

"clásico" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV  ·  "clínico" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "clásico" for "clínico" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklasiko] versus [ˈkliniko]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "clásico" or "clínico"?
"clásico" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,547 in our Spanish list, against #11,926 for "clínico". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "clásico" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "clínico" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #283,982 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "clásico" and "clínico" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "clinical vs clínico". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #283,982 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list