únicovsUnicodeConfusable pair

Quick tell: único is a adjective, Unicode is a name, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“único” is an adjective and “Unicode” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#368
“único” frequency rank
#47,477
“Unicode” frequency rank
47845
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature único Unicode
Definition Dícese de lo que hay uno y solo un ejemplar. Estándar de codificación de caracteres diseñado para facilitar el tratamiento informático, transmisión y visualización de textos de múltiples lenguajes y disciplinas técnicas además de textos clásicos de lenguas muertas.^([cita requerida])

Where the eye mixes único and Unicode

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

5 ch
único
7 ch
Unicode

Look-alike desk: único vs Unicode

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: único is [ˈuniko] while Unicode is [uniˈkoð̞e]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47845, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

único is recorded at frequency rank #368, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈuniko]. Unicode is at rank #47,477, tagged as aname, pronounced [uniˈkoð̞e].

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 47845, this pair ranks #117,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of único vs Unicode

Shared letters: cino. Private to "único": ú. Private to "Unicode": deu.

"único" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV  ·  "Unicode" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Unicodenuicode · uincode · unciode · uniccode · unicdoe · unicodde · unicoed · uniocde

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "único" and "Unicode" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "único" is an adjective and "Unicode" a name, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "único" vs "Unicode" - which ranks higher?
"único" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #368 in our Spanish list, against #47,477 for "Unicode". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "único" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Unicode" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #117,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "único" and "Unicode" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Unicode vs únicos". 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 #117,788 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list