locovsloucoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“loco” and “louco” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#11,910
“loco” frequency rank
#1,649
“louco” frequency rank
13559
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature loco louco
Definition louco que perdeu a razão, maluco, demente, vesano, amente

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
loco
5 ch
louco

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

loco and louco form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13559, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

loco is recorded at frequency rank #11,910, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈlo.ko/. louco is at rank #1,649, tagged as anadj.

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 13559, this pair ranks #58,735 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

loco#11,910
louco#1,649

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "loco" and "louco" be used interchangeably?
No, "loco" and "louco" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering loco vs louco

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 “loco” 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