Cuenca

/ˈkwɛn.kə/

//ˈkwɛn.kə// name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cuenca" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Cuenca” is uncommon English (frequency #72,216 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,216
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A province of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Capital: Cuenca.

Key facts for Cuenca
PropertyValue
HeadwordCuenca
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkwɛn.kə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#72,216
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Cuenca” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Cuenca lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Cuenca is uncommon English at frequency #72,216 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈkwɛn.kə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for Cuenca in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish Cuenca, from cuenca (“valley; watershed”). The correct English form is Cuenca, spelled C-U-E-N-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A province of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Capital: Cuenca.
  2. 2
    A surname from Spanish.
  3. 3
    A city in Cuenca, Spain.
  4. 4
    The third largest city in Ecuador, capital of Azuay province.
  5. 5
    A barangay of Pugo, La Union, Philippines.
  6. 6
    A municipality of Batangas, Philippines.

Etymology

From Spanish Cuenca, from cuenca (“valley; watershed”).

This word in other languages

Cuenca(Español)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Cuenca"?
"Cuenca" is spelled C-U-E-N-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwɛn.kə/.
What does "Cuenca" mean?
As a proper noun, "Cuenca" means: A province of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Capital: Cuenca.
How do you pronounce "Cuenca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Cuenca" is /ˈkwɛn.kə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Cuenca"?
From Spanish Cuenca, from cuenca (“valley; watershed”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Cuenca”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-E-N-C-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkwɛn.kə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list