Five Hard Words Play today

Tier five of five

How to spell aficionado

What it means

an enthusiastic follower

How it sounds

/əˌfiʃjəˈnɑˌdoʊ/

Why it catches people out

One f, one c. The Spanish original doubles neither consonant.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

She is a genuine aficionado of Italian film.

First appeared in

Puzzle #12 — August 5, 2026