Which to use
“pica” and “pico” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,902
- “pica” frequency rank
- #3,279
- “pico” frequency rank
- 14181
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pica | pico |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Lanza de 3 o más metros, compuesta de un asta con un hierro pequeño y agudo en el extremo superior. | Estructura óseo-vascular que cubre la boca y nariz de las aves, adaptada a sus hábitos alimentarios. |
Where the eye mixes pica and pico
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: pica vs pico
A purely visual mix-up. pica ([ˈpika]) and pico ([ˈpiko]) 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 a single letter - a in “pica” becomes o in “pico”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14181, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pica is recorded at frequency rank #10,902, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpika]. pico is at rank #3,279, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpiko].
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 14181, this pair ranks #285,123 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pica vs pico
Shared letters: cip. Private to "pica": a. Private to "pico": o.
"pica" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "pico" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pica" and "pico" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pica" or "pico"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "pica" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pico" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #285,123 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pica" and "pico" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pica vs PRC". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #285,123 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.