unovsusoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: uno is a num, uso is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“uno” is a num and “uso” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#77
“uno” frequency rank
#349
“uso” frequency rank
426
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature uno uso
Definition La cantidad de una cosa solitaria (a saber, sin otros). Acción o efecto de usar o de usarse.

Where the eye mixes uno and uso

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

3 ch
uno
3 ch
uso

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: uno is [ˈuno] while uso is [ˈuso]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - n in “uno” becomes s in “uso”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 426, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

uno is recorded at frequency rank #77, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈuno]. uso is at rank #349, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈuso].

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 426, this pair ranks #323,433 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of uno vs uso

Shared letters: ou. Private to "uno": n. Private to "uso": s.

"uno" · 3 letters · shape VCV  ·  "uso" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "uno" and "uso" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "uno" is a num and "uso" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "uno" or "uso"?
"uno" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #77 in our Spanish list, against #349 for "uso". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

You've compared "uno" and "uso". Here's where to go from here.

  • Full dictionary entry for "uno" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "uso" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #323,433 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "uno" and "uso" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "UPN vs uso". Nearby pair

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list