aferrar

[afeˈraɾ]

/[afeˈraɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“aferrar” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #88,475 among 120,137 “A” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,475
frequency rank, Spanish
120,137
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Agarrar, coger, prender, sujetar o asir con fuerza.

Key facts for aferrar
PropertyValue
Headwordaferrar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[afeˈraɾ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#88,475
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aferrar” 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). aferrar 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

aferrar is uncommon Spanish at frequency #88,475 among 120,137 “A” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [afeˈraɾ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

aferrar doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is aferrar, spelled A-F-E-R-R-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Agarrar, coger, prender, sujetar o asir con fuerza.
  2. 2
    Recoger, plegar y asegurar o atar las velas a sus vergas, o los toldos, banderas o cualquier otra tela a sus respectivos cabos, nervios, etc.
  3. 3
    Atrapar, agarrar con el bichero u otro instrumento de garfio.
  4. 4
    Asegurar la embarcación en el puerto echando los ferros o anclas.

This word in other languages

grasp(English)saisir(Français)

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 "aferrar"?
"aferrar" is spelled A-F-E-R-R-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [afeˈraɾ].
What does "aferrar" mean?
As a verb, "aferrar" means: Agarrar, coger, prender, sujetar o asir con fuerza.
How do you pronounce "aferrar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aferrar" is [afeˈraɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "aferrar" come from?
"aferrar" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “aferrar”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is A-F-E-R-R-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [afeˈraɾ] (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

Other uncommon Spanish 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