núcleovsnúcleosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,732
“núcleo” frequency rank
#11,094
“núcleos” frequency rank
15826
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature núcleo núcleos
Definition Lo que está en el medio de algo, parte central o medular. Forma del plural de núcleo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set núcleo and núcleos apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
núcleo
7 ch
núcleos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. núcleo ([ˈnukleo]) and núcleos ([ˈnukleos]) 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) - “núcleo” sits inside “núcleos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15826, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

núcleo is recorded at frequency rank #4,732, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnukleo]. núcleos is at rank #11,094, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnukleos].

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 15826, this pair ranks #278,632 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of núcleo vs núcleos

Shared letters: celnoú. Private to "núcleo": -. Private to "núcleos": s.

"núcleo" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV  ·  "núcleos" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC

Frequency comparison

núcleo#4,732
núcleos#11,094

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "núcleo" and "núcleos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnukleo] versus [ˈnukleos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "núcleo" or "núcleos"?
"núcleo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,732 in our Spanish list, against #11,094 for "núcleos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering núcleo vs núcleos

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 “núcleo” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list