ídolovsídolosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,782
“ídolo” frequency rank
#14,489
“ídolos” frequency rank
25271
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ídolo ídolos
Definition Figura de una falsa deidad a la que se da adoración. Forma del plural de ídolo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ídolo and ídolos apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
ídolo
6 ch
ídolos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ídolo ([ˈið̞olo]) and ídolos ([ˈið̞olos]) 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 extra letter(s) - “ídolo” sits inside “ídolos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25271, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ídolo is recorded at frequency rank #10,782, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈið̞olo]. ídolos is at rank #14,489, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈið̞olos].

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 25271, this pair ranks #237,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ídolo vs ídolos

Shared letters: dloí. Private to "ídolo": -. Private to "ídolos": s.

"ídolo" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV  ·  "ídolos" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC

Frequency comparison

ídolo#10,782
ídolos#14,489

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ídolo" and "ídolos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈið̞olo] versus [ˈið̞olos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ídolo" or "ídolos"?
"ídolo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,782 in our Spanish list, against #14,489 for "ídolos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ídolo vs ídolos

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 “ídolo” 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