Which to use
“tercer” and “terco” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,428
- “tercer” frequency rank
- #29,415
- “terco” frequency rank
- 30843
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tercer | terco |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante de tercero (que ocupa el lugar tres en una serie, inmediatamente después del segundo elemento). | Que no cambia su opinión o proceder, pese a las razones en sentido contrario. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tercer and terco apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. tercer ([t̪eɾˈseɾ]) and terco ([ˈt̪eɾko]) 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 30843, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tercer is recorded at frequency rank #1,428, classified as anadj, pronounced [t̪eɾˈseɾ]. terco is at rank #29,415, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt̪eɾko].
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 30843, this pair ranks #210,044 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tercer vs terco
Shared letters: cert. Private to "tercer": -. Private to "terco": o.
"tercer" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "terco" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tercer" and "terco" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tercer" or "terco"?
Remembering tercer vs terco
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 “tercer” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable