únicavsúnicosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#599
“única” frequency rank
#3,531
“únicos” frequency rank
4130
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature única únicos
Definition Forma del femenino singular de único. Forma del masculino plural de único.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
única
6 ch
únicos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. única ([ˈunika]) and únicos ([ˈunikos]) 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 4130, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

única is recorded at frequency rank #599, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈunika]. únicos is at rank #3,531, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈunikos].

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 4130, this pair ranks #316,796 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of única vs únicos

Shared letters: cinú. Private to "única": a. Private to "únicos": os.

"única" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV  ·  "únicos" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC

Frequency comparison

única#599
únicos#3,531

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "única" and "únicos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈunika] versus [ˈunikos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "única" or "únicos"?
"única" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #599 in our Spanish list, against #3,531 for "únicos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering única vs únicos

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 “única” 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