Spanish words ending in -ico (from English -ic)
English -ic adjectives become Spanish -ico, and they bring a written accent with them: basic → básico, public → público, romantic → romántico. Once you see why the accent is there, you can predict it on every word in the list below.
How the rule works
- These are adjectives, so they agree: básico / básica / básicos / básicas.
- The stress stays on the syllable English stresses, which is now third from the end — Spanish marks that with an accent: BÁ-si-co.
- Some arrive as nouns: music → música, politics → política.
- -ical English adjectives usually land on the same -ico word: historical → histórico.
Start with these
- public → público
- traffic → tráfico
- classic → clásico
- academic → académico
- plastic → plástico
- panic → pánico
Every verified word in this family (212)
Each pair below was checked on both sides: the Spanish 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.
- academic→académico
- acetic→acético
- acrobatic→acrobático
- acrostic→acróstico
- adriatic→adriático
- aerobic→aeróbico
- aeronautic→aeronáutico
- afric→áfrico
- agaric→agárico
- agnostic→agnóstico
- alcoholic→alcohólico
- algebraic→algebraico
- analgesic→analgésico
- anesthetic→anestésico
- antibiotic→antibiótico
- apologetic→apologético
- apostolic→apostólico
- aromatic→aromáticoLatin aromăticus
- arsenic→arsénico
- artistic→artísticoLatin artem
- ascetic→ascético
- asiatic→asiático
- astronautic→astronáutico
- atlantic→atlántico
- atomic→atómico
- attic→áticoLatin Atticus
- automatic→automático
- autonomic→autonómico
- bacteriostatic→bacteriostático
- balsamic→balsámico
- baltic→báltico
- barbaric→barbárico
- barbituric→barbitúrico
- basic→básico
- benzoic→benzoico
- bubonic→bubónico
- bucolic→bucólico
- caloric→calórico
- calorific→calorífico
- cambric→cámbrico
- carbolic→carbólico
- catadioptric→catadióptrico
- catatonic→catatónico
- caustic→cáustico
- celtic→céltico
- ceramic→cerámico
- civic→cívicoLatin cīvicus
- classic→clásico
- clinic→clínicoLatin clīnicus
- colic→cólico
- comic→cómico
- concentric→concéntrico
- conic→cónico
- cosmetic→cosmético
- cosmic→cósmicoLatin cosmicus
- critic→críticoLatin criticus
- cubic→cúbico
- democratic→democráticoAncient Greek dēmokratikós
- diabolic→diabólico
- diagnostic→diagnósticoAncient Greek diagnōstikós
- dialectic→dialéctico
- diamagnetic→diamagnético
- didactic→didáctico
- dielectric→dieléctrico
- dietetic→dietético
- diplomatic→diplomático
- diuretic→diurético
- domestic→doméstico
- dominic→dominico
- drastic→drástico
- eclectic→ecléctico
- ecliptic→eclíptico
- economic→económicoLatin oeconomicus
- egocentric→egocéntrico
- eidetic→eidético
- elastic→elástico
- electric→eléctrico
- electronic→electrónicoLatin ēlectrum
- electrostatic→electrostático
- emetic→emético
- empiric→empíricoLatin empiricus
- endemic→endémico
- energetic→energético
- epidemic→epidémico
- epidermic→epidérmico
- epileptic→epiléptico
- ergonomic→ergonómico
- esoteric→esotérico
- evangelic→evangélico
- excentric→excéntrico
- exotic→exóticoLatin exōticus
- fanatic→fanático
- fantastic→fantásticoLatin phantasticus
- frenetic→frenéticoLatin phrenēticus
- gaelic→gaélico
- galactic→galácticoLatin galacticus
- galvanic→galvánico
- gastric→gástricoAncient Greek gastḗr
- generic→genérico
- genetic→genéticoLatin genĕsis
- genomic→genómico
- geocentric→geocéntrico
- geodesic→geodésico
- geometric→geométrico
- geriatric→geriátrico
- germanic→germánico
- gnostic→gnóstico
- hebraic→hebraico
- heliocentric→heliocéntrico
- hepatic→hepático
- heretic→herético
- hermetic→hermético
- heroic→heroico
- hieratic→hierático
- hispanic→hispánico
- honorific→honorífico
- humanistic→humanístico
- hypnotic→hipnótico
- indic→indicó
- ionic→iónico
- islamic→islámico
- isotonic→isotónico
- italic→itálico
- laconic→lacónico
- lactic→láctico
- linguistic→lingüístico
- logic→lógicoLatin logicus
- logistic→logístico
- lunatic→lunático
- macroscopic→macroscópico
- magic→mágico
- malefic→maléfico
- mechanic→mecánicoLatin mēchanicus
- medic→médicoLatin medicus
- melodic→melódico
- melodramatic→melodramático
- mesozoic→mesozoico
- metabolic→metabólico
- metric→métrico
- mimic→mimico
- monastic→monástico
- mosaic→mosaico
- mystic→místicoLatin mysticus
- narcotic→narcótico
- neoplatonic→neoplatónico
- neurotic→neurótico
- nordic→nórdico
- nostalgic→nostálgico
- numeric→numérico
- numismatic→numismático
- obstetric→obstétrico
- oceanic→oceánico
- oleic→oleico
- onomastic→onomástico
- optic→óptico
- organic→orgánico
- orgiastic→orgiástico
- osmotic→osmótico
- oxalic→oxálico
- pacific→pacífico
- pancreatic→pancreático
- panic→pánico
- panoramic→panorámico
- paradigmatic→paradigmático
- paramedic→paramédico
- paranoic→paranoico
- pedagogic→pedagógico
- picric→pícrico
- piezoelectric→piezoeléctrico
- plastic→plásticoLatin plasticus
- platonic→platónico
- plutonic→plutónico
- poetic→poéticoLatin poēticus
- polemic→polémico
- politic→políticoLatin polīticus
- pragmatic→pragmático
- prismatic→prismático
- prolific→prolífico
- prosaic→prosaico
- ptolemaic→ptolemaico
- public→público
- ribonucleic→ribonucleico
- romantic→romántico
- rustic→rústico
- sarcastic→sarcástico
- sardonic→sardónico
- satanic→satánico
- schizophrenic→esquizofrénico
- scholastic→escolástico
- semantic→semánticoAncient Greek sēmantikós ‘significant’
- semiotic→semiótico
- semitic→semítico
- septic→séptico
- socioeconomic→socioeconómico
- socratic→socrático
- stoic→estoico
- sudorific→sudorífico
- tactic→táctico
- tectonic→tectónico
- titanic→titánico
- tonic→tónico
- topic→tópicoLatin topicus
- totemic→totémico
- toxic→tóxicoLatin toxicum ‘arrow poison’
- traffic→tráficoLatin trānsfrīcō
- tragic→trágicoLatin tragicus
- tragicomic→tragicómico
- transatlantic→transatlántico
- tropic→trópico
- volcanic→volcánico
- voltaic→voltaico
- volumetric→volumétrico
Traps in this family
- simpático is not sympathetic — it means nice, friendly. For “sympathetic” say compasivo.
FAQ
Why do so many -ico words carry an accent?
Spanish stresses the second-to-last syllable by default. These words keep the English stress, which sits one syllable further left, so the accent is written to say so: público, not publico (which is a verb form — “I publish”).
Does -ico ever mean the noun rather than the adjective?
Yes, especially for people and fields: el músico is the musician, la música is the music.
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