a priori

[a ˈpɾjoɾi]

/[a ˈpɾjoɾi]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“a priori” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Que puede determinarse su verdad sin necesidad de una contrastación empírica.

Key facts for a priori
PropertyValue
Headworda priori
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[a ˈpɾjoɾi]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “a priori” sits in Spanish frequency

a priori falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for a priori is 8 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [a ˈpɾjoɾi]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Que puede determinarse su verdad sin necesidad de una contrastación empírica.".

a priori doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is a priori, spelled A- -P-R-I-O-R-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Que puede determinarse su verdad sin necesidad de una contrastación empírica.

Antonyms

a posteriori

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "a priori"?
"a priori" is spelled A- -P-R-I-O-R-I. The IPA pronunciation is [a ˈpɾjoɾi].
What does "a priori" mean?
As a phrase, "a priori" means: Que puede determinarse su verdad sin necesidad de una contrastación empírica.
How do you pronounce "a priori"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "a priori" is [a ˈpɾjoɾi]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "a priori" come from?
"a priori" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “a priori”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is A- -P-R-I-O-R-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [a ˈpɾjoɾi] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list