índice vs indices, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“índice” is a noun and “indices” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,915
“índice” frequency rank: #35,562
“indices” frequency rank: 38477
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	índice	indices
Definition	Dedo índice.	Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de indizar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch

índice

7 ch

indices

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: índice is [ˈĩn̪d̪ise] while indices is [ĩn̪ˈd̪ises]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38477, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

índice is recorded at frequency rank #2,915, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈĩn̪d̪ise]. indices is at rank #35,562, tagged as averb, pronounced [ĩn̪ˈd̪ises].

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 38477, this pair ranks #169,803 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of índice vs indices

Shared letters: cdein. Private to "índice": í. Private to "indices": s.

"índice" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "indices" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

indices ← idnices · indcies · inddices · indicces · indicess · indicse · indiecs · indises

Frequency comparison

índice#2,915

indices#35,562

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "índice" and "indices" be used interchangeably?

No - they are not even the same part of speech. "índice" is a noun and "indices" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.

Which is more common, "índice" or "indices"?

"índice" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,915 in our Spanish list, against #35,562 for "indices". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering índice vs indices

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “índice”; for a verb, it's “indices”.
See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “índice” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable