Which to use
“ido” is an adjective and “ir” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,216
- “ido” frequency rank
- #186
- “ir” frequency rank
- 1402
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ido | ir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Loco, falto de cordura. | Desplazarse de un lugar a otro. |
Where the eye mixes ido and ir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between ido and ir
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ido is [ˈið̞o] while ir is [ˈiɾ]. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1402, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ido is recorded at frequency rank #1,216, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈið̞o]. ir is at rank #186, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈiɾ].
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 1402, this pair ranks #322,121 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ido vs ir
Shared letters: i. Private to "ido": do. Private to "ir": r.
"ido" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ir" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ido" for "ir" ever safe?
Frequency check: "ido" vs "ir" - which ranks higher?
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 "ido" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #322,121 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ido" and "ir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ido vs iza". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #322,121 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.