histéricovshistóricoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,137
“histérico” frequency rank
#1,511
“histórico” frequency rank
38648
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature histérico histórico
Definition Perteneciente al útero. Propio o relacionado con la historia.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set histérico and histórico apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
histérico
9 ch
histórico

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. histérico ([isˈt̪eɾiko]) and histórico ([isˈt̪oɾiko]) 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 a single letter - é in “histérico” becomes ó in “histórico”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38648, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

histérico is recorded at frequency rank #37,137, classified as anadj, pronounced [isˈt̪eɾiko]. histórico is at rank #1,511, tagged as anadj, pronounced [isˈt̪oɾiko].

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 38648, this pair ranks #168,848 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of histérico vs histórico

Shared letters: chiorst. Private to "histérico": é. Private to "histórico": ó.

"histérico" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV  ·  "histórico" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV

Frequency comparison

histérico#37,137
histórico#1,511

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "histérico" and "histórico" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([isˈt̪eɾiko] versus [isˈt̪oɾiko]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "histérico" or "histórico"?
"histórico" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,511 in our Spanish list, against #37,137 for "histérico". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering histérico vs histórico

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 “histérico” 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