Italian words ending in -ico (from English -ic)
English -ic adjectives become Italian -ico: basic → basico, public → pubblico, romantic → romantico. The plural does something to the c that catches every learner once.
How the rule works
- Adjectives agree: basico / basica / basici / basiche.
- The masculine plural -ici softens the c to “chee”: amico → amici.
- The feminine plural keeps the hard c by writing an h: basiche.
- Stress is third from the end: BA-si-co, ro-MAN-ti-co.
- Italian often doubles a consonant English leaves single: public → pubblico.
Start with these
- public → pubblico
- traffic → traffico
- classic → classico
- panic → panico
- critic → critico
- attic → attico
Every verified word in this family (231)
Each pair below was checked on both sides: the Italian word exists in a spell-checker and a frequency list, and the meaning was cross-checked rather than assumed from the spelling. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
- acetic→acetico
- acrobatic→acrobatico
- acrostic→acrostico
- adiabatic→adiabatico
- adriatic→adriatico
- aerobic→aerobico
- aeronautic→aeronautico
- agnostic→agnostico
- alaric→alarico
- allogenic→allogenico
- analgesic→analgesico
- antibiotic→antibiotico
- antidemocratic→antidemocratico
- antisemitic→antisemitico
- antistatic→antistatico
- apologetic→apologetico
- apostolic→apostolico
- arabic→arabico
- aramaic→aramaico
- aromatic→aromaticoLatin aromaticus
- arsenic→arsenico
- artistic→artistico
- ascetic→ascetico
- ascorbic→ascorbico
- asiatic→asiatico
- astigmatic→astigmatico
- astronautic→astronautico
- atlantic→atlantico
- atomic→atomico
- attic→attico
- autistic→autistico
- automatic→automatico
- avionic→avionico
- balsamic→balsamico
- baltic→baltico
- barbaric→barbarico
- barbituric→barbiturico
- basic→basico
- benzoic→benzoico
- biogenetic→biogenetico
- biometric→biometrico
- bionic→bionico
- britannic→britannico
- bucolic→bucolico
- caloric→calorico
- calorific→calorifico
- catatonic→catatonico
- caustic→caustico
- celtic→celtico
- civic→civicoLatin civicus
- classic→classico
- cleric→chierico
- clinic→clinico
- comic→comico
- concentric→concentrico
- conic→conico
- cosmetic→cosmetico
- cosmic→cosmico
- critic→criticoLatin criticus
- cubic→cubico
- democratic→democraticoAncient Greek dēmokratikós
- demotic→demotico
- dendritic→dendritico
- diabetic→diabetico
- diabolic→diabolico
- diagrammatic→diagrammatico
- dielectric→dielettrico
- dietetic→dietetico
- diplomatic→diplomatico
- diuretic→diuretico
- domestic→domestico
- drastic→drastico
- druidic→druidico
- eccentric→eccentrico
- ecclesiastic→ecclesiasticoLatin ecclesiasticus
- economic→economicoLatin oeconomicus
- egocentric→egocentrico
- elastic→elastico
- emetic→emetico
- empiric→empiricoLatin empiricus
- endemic→endemico
- enteric→enterico
- epidemic→epidemico
- epidermic→epidermico
- epigenetic→epigenetico
- epistemic→epistemico
- ergonomic→ergonomico
- erratic→erratico
- erucic→erucico
- esoteric→esoterico
- evangelic→evangelico
- fanatic→fanatico
- folkloristic→folkloristico
- frenetic→freneticoLatin phreneticus
- futuristic→futuristico
- gaelic→gaelico
- gallic→gallico
- gastric→gastrico
- generic→generico
- genetic→genetico
- genomic→genomico
- geocentric→geocentrico
- geodetic→geodetico
- geomagnetic→geomagnetico
- geomantic→geomantico
- geometric→geometrico
- geriatric→geriatrico
- germanic→germanico
- gnomic→gnomico
- gnostic→gnostico
- heretic→eretico
- impressionistic→impressionistico
- inorganic→inorganico
- ionic→ionico
- islamic→islamico
- isometric→isometrico
- isotonic→isotonico
- italic→italico
- laconic→laconico
- linguistic→linguistico
- linoleic→linoleico
- logic→logicoLatin logicus
- logistic→logistico
- ludovic→ludovico
- lunatic→lunatico
- macrobiotic→macrobiotico
- macroscopic→macroscopico
- magic→magico
- malefic→malefico
- melodic→melodico
- mesozoic→mesozoico
- messianic→messianico
- metabolic→metabolico
- metallic→metallico
- metastatic→metastatico
- meteoritic→meteoritico
- metric→metrico
- mimetic→mimetico
- mimic→mimico
- mnemonic→mnemonico
- monastic→monastico
- morganatic→morganatico
- mosaic→mosaico
- mystic→mistico
- narcotic→narcotico
- neoclassic→neoclassico
- neoplatonic→neoplatonico
- neurotic→neurotico
- neutronic→neutronico
- nordic→nordico
- nostalgic→nostalgico
- numeric→numerico
- numismatic→numismatico
- oceanic→oceanico
- oleic→oleico
- onomastic→onomastico
- organic→organico
- organometallic→organometallico
- orgiastic→orgiastico
- osmotic→osmotico
- pancreatic→pancreatico
- pandemic→pandemico
- panic→panico
- paradigmatic→paradigmatico
- paramedic→paramedicoLatin medicus
- paranoic→paranoico
- paraplegic→paraplegico
- pedagogic→pedagogico
- pelvic→pelvico
- peripatetic→peripatetico
- picric→picrico
- platonic→platonico
- pneumatic→pneumatico
- poetic→poeticoLatin poeticus
- polemic→polemico
- politic→politicoLatin polīticus
- pragmatic→pragmatico
- prosaic→prosaico
- prussic→prussico
- public→pubblicoLatin pūblicus
- quadriplegic→quadriplegico
- quantic→quantico
- realistic→realistico
- ribonucleic→ribonucleico
- ritualistic→ritualistico
- robotic→robotico
- romantic→romantico
- rustic→rusticoLatin rūsticus
- salvific→salvifico
- sarcastic→sarcastico
- sardonic→sardonico
- satanic→satanico
- schematic→schematico
- sciatic→sciatico
- scientific→scientificoLatin scientificus
- sclerotic→sclerotico
- semantic→semantico
- semitic→semitico
- socioeconomic→socioeconomico
- socratic→socratico
- spasmodic→spasmodico
- splenic→splenico
- sporadic→sporadico
- static→statico
- statistic→statistico
- stoic→stoico
- strategic→strategicoAncient Greek stratēgikós
- subatomic→subatomico
- submicroscopic→submicroscopico
- subsonic→subsonico
- succinic→succinico
- supersonic→supersonico
- tannic→tannico
- telegenic→telegenico
- tetanic→tetanico
- tetraplegic→tetraplegico
- titanic→titanico
- tonic→tonico
- topic→topicoLatin topicus
- totemic→totemico
- traffic→trafficoLatin trānsfrīcō
- tragic→tragicoLatin tragicus
- tragicomic→tragicomico
- transatlantic→transatlantico
- transuranic→transuranico
- triassic→triassico
- tropic→tropico
- ultrasonic→ultrasonico
- voltaic→voltaico
- volumetric→volumetrico
- voyeuristic→voyeuristico
FAQ
Why is it amici and not amichi?
Italian spelling keeps the sound honest, and in this family the masculine plural is genuinely pronounced with a soft c. The feminine adds an h precisely to avoid that: amiche.
Does -ical also become -ico?
Yes: historical → storico, political → politico. English keeps two forms where Italian is happy with one.
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