suciovssumisoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,012
“sucio” frequency rank
#32,418
“sumiso” frequency rank
38430
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sucio sumiso
Definition Se dice de lo que no está limpio. Que por carácter o inclinación acata sin cuestionamiento las órdenes.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sucio and sumiso apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
sucio
6 ch
sumiso

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sucio ([ˈsusjo]) and sumiso ([suˈmiso]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38430, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sucio is recorded at frequency rank #6,012, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈsusjo]. sumiso is at rank #32,418, tagged as anadj, pronounced [suˈmiso].

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 38430, this pair ranks #170,056 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sucio vs sumiso

Shared letters: iosu. Private to "sucio": c. Private to "sumiso": m.

"sucio" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV  ·  "sumiso" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sucioscuio · ssucio · succio · sucoi · suico · susio · uscio
  • sumisosmuiso · ssumiso · suimso · sumios · sumisso · summiso · sumsio · usmiso

Frequency comparison

sucio#6,012
sumiso#32,418

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sucio" and "sumiso" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈsusjo] versus [suˈmiso]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sucio" or "sumiso"?
"sucio" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,012 in our Spanish list, against #32,418 for "sumiso". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sucio vs sumiso

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 “sucio” 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