índice vs inicié, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#2,915
“índice” frequency rank: #34,629
“inicié” frequency rank: 37544
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	índice	inicié
Definition	Dedo índice.	Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de iniciar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set índice and inicié apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

índice

6 ch

inicié

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: índice is [ˈĩn̪d̪ise] while inicié is [iniˈsje]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 5 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37544, 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]. inicié is at rank #34,629, tagged as averb, pronounced [iniˈsje].

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 37544, this pair ranks #174,749 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of índice vs inicié

Shared letters: cin. Private to "índice": deí. Private to "inicié": é.

"índice" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "inicié" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVV

Frequency comparison

índice#2,915

inicié#34,629

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

"índice" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,915 in our Spanish list, against #34,629 for "inicié". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering índice vs inicié

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 “inicié”.
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