topicvstóxicaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: topic is a noun, tóxica is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“topic” is a noun and “tóxica” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#18,405
“topic” frequency rank
#15,983
“tóxica” frequency rank
34388
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature topic tóxica
Definition Tema. Forma del femenino singular de tóxico.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set topic and tóxica apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
topic
6 ch
tóxica

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: topic is /ˈtɒp.ɪk/ while tóxica is [ˈt̪oksika]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34388, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

topic is recorded at frequency rank #18,405, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈtɒp.ɪk/. tóxica is at rank #15,983, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt̪oksika].

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 34388, this pair ranks #191,713 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of topic vs tóxica

Shared letters: cit. Private to "topic": op. Private to "tóxica": axó.

"topic" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "tóxica" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • topicotpic · toipc · topci · topicc · toppic · tpoic · ttopic

Frequency comparison

topic#18,405
tóxica#15,983

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "topic" and "tóxica" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "topic" is a noun and "tóxica" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "topic" or "tóxica"?
"tóxica" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,983 in our Spanish list, against #18,405 for "topic". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering topic vs tóxica

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “topic”; for an adjective, it's “tóxica”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “topic” 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