ábaco

[ˈaβ̞ako]

/[ˈaβ̞ako]/ noun

The verdict

“ábaco” is an uncommon Spanish word, ranked #66,611 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#66,611
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cuadro de madera con diez cuerdas o alambres paralelos y en cada uno de ellos otras tantas bolas movibles, usado en las escuelas para enseñar los rudimentos de la aritmética.

Key facts for ábaco
PropertyValue
Headwordábaco
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈaβ̞ako]
Letters5
Frequency rank#66,611
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ábaco” sits in Spanish 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). ábaco lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for ábaco is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaβ̞ako]. Corpus data places it at rank #66,611 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for ábaco, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Spanish rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, 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 ábaco, spelled Á-B-A-C-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cuadro de madera con diez cuerdas o alambres paralelos y en cada uno de ellos otras tantas bolas movibles, usado en las escuelas para enseñar los rudimentos de la aritmética.
  2. 2
    Por extensión del anterior, cualquier tabla o cuadro utilizado para el cómputo.
  3. 3
    Representación gráfica de una serie de funciones matemáticas que permite determinar el valor de una variable sin necesidad de cálculos.
  4. 4
    Tablero o plancha utilizada como elemento decorativo, principalmente en muebles.
  5. 5
    Parte superior en forma de tablero que corona el capitel.
  6. 6
    Artesa utilizada para lavar minerales, principalmente oro.
  7. 7
    Tablero empleado para el juego de ajedrez.

Synonyms

tablero contadornomograma

This word in other languages

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ábaco"?
"ábaco" is spelled Á-B-A-C-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaβ̞ako].
What does "ábaco" mean?
As a noun, "ábaco" means: Cuadro de madera con diez cuerdas o alambres paralelos y en cada uno de ellos otras tantas bolas movibles, usado en las escuelas para enseñar los rudimentos de la aritmética.
How do you pronounce "ábaco"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ábaco" is [ˈaβ̞ako]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ábaco" come from?
"ábaco" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “ábaco”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is Á-B-A-C-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈaβ̞ako] (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