metálicovsmetálicosConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#11,813
“metálico” frequency rank
#15,666
“metálicos” frequency rank
27479
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature metálico metálicos
Definition Propio de, relativo a o similar al metal. Forma del plural de metálico.

Where the eye mixes metálico and metálicos

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. metálico runs 8 letters (CVCVCVCV) against metálicos's 9 (CVCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
metálico
9 ch
metálicos

Why the eye confuses metálico with metálicos

A purely visual mix-up. metálico ([meˈt̪aliko]) and metálicos ([meˈt̪alikos]) 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) - “metálico” sits inside “metálicos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27479, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

metálico is recorded at frequency rank #11,813, classified as anadj, pronounced [meˈt̪aliko]. metálicos is at rank #15,666, tagged as anadj, pronounced [meˈt̪alikos].

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 27479, this pair ranks #226,654 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of metálico vs metálicos

Shared letters: ceilmotá. Private to "metálico": -. Private to "metálicos": s.

"metálico" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV  ·  "metálicos" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "metálico" and "metálicos" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([meˈt̪aliko] versus [meˈt̪alikos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "metálico" vs "metálicos" - which ranks higher?
"metálico" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,813 in our Spanish list, against #15,666 for "metálicos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "metálico" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "metálicos" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #226,654 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "metálico" and "metálicos" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "metálico vs métrico". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #226,654 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list