Which to use
“delicado” is an adjective and “duplicado” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,101
- “delicado” frequency rank
- #18,802
- “duplicado” frequency rank
- 26903
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | delicado | duplicado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Suave, blando, tierno. | Documento copiado exactamente del original por medios mecánicos o fotográficos, que tiene su misma validez legal, utilizado como respaldo para el caso de extravío o pérdida accidental. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set delicado and duplicado apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: delicado is [d̪eliˈkað̞o] while duplicado is [d̪upliˈkað̞o]. 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 26903, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
delicado is recorded at frequency rank #8,101, classified as anadj, pronounced [d̪eliˈkað̞o]. duplicado is at rank #18,802, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪upliˈkað̞o].
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 26903, this pair ranks #229,397 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of delicado vs duplicado
Shared letters: acdilo. Private to "delicado": e. Private to "duplicado": pu.
"delicado" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV · "duplicado" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "delicado" and "duplicado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "delicado" or "duplicado"?
Remembering delicado vs duplicado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “delicado”; for a noun, it's “duplicado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “delicado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable