Which to use
“delgado” and “delicado” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,601
- “delgado” frequency rank
- #8,101
- “delicado” frequency rank
- 13702
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | delgado | delicado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | De poca anchura corporal. | Suave, blando, tierno. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set delgado and delicado apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. delgado ([d̪elˈɣ̞að̞o]) and delicado ([d̪eliˈkað̞o]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13702, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
delgado is recorded at frequency rank #5,601, classified as anadj, pronounced [d̪elˈɣ̞að̞o]. delicado is at rank #8,101, tagged as anadj, pronounced [d̪eliˈkað̞o].
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 13702, this pair ranks #286,849 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of delgado vs delicado
Shared letters: adelo. Private to "delgado": g. Private to "delicado": ci.
"delgado" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "delicado" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "delgado" and "delicado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "delgado" or "delicado"?
Remembering delgado vs delicado
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 “delgado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable