ala

[ˈala]

/[ˈala]/ noun

The verdict

“ala” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #3,894 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,894
frequency rank, Spanish
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Las alas son extremidades o apéndices que poseen algunos grupos de animales, normalmente utilizan estas alas para poder volar.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ala vs ay
33% similar
ala vs as
33% similar
ala vs am
33% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ala
PropertyValue
Headwordala
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈala]
Letters3
Frequency rank#3,894
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ala” 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). ala 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 ala is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈala]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,894 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for ala, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Spanish rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ay", "as", "am", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is ala, spelled A-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Las alas son extremidades o apéndices que poseen algunos grupos de animales, normalmente utilizan estas alas para poder volar.
  2. 2
    un cuerpo de perfil aerodinámico capaz de generar una diferencia de presiones entre su intradós y extradós al desplazarse por el aire lo que, a su vez, produce sustentación.
  3. 3
    Extensión de la parte principal de un edificio.
  4. 4
    Parte que sobresale de un tejado para resguardarlo de la lluvia.
  5. 5
    Borde saliente de algo, especialmente de un sombrero.
  6. 6
    Movimiento político, especialmente si se aparta de la corriente mayoritaria.
  7. 7
    En un perfil metálico en T, cada una de las secciones que están en los extremos, que son paralelas entre sí y están unidas de forma perpendicular por el alma.
  8. 8
    Axila.
  9. 9
    En el juego del ajedrez las que forman los peones de cada uno de los caballos con el peón del roque inmediato, y por consiguiente cada jugador tiene su ala izquierda y derecha.
  10. 10
    Nombre de algunas secciones del esfenoides.

Synonyms

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 "ala"?
"ala" is spelled A-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈala].
What does "ala" mean?
As a noun, "ala" means: Las alas son extremidades o apéndices que poseen algunos grupos de animales, normalmente utilizan estas alas para poder volar.
What words are commonly confused with "ala"?
"ala" is commonly confused with "ay", "as", "am". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ala"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ala" is [ˈala]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ala" come from?
"ala" 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 “ala”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is A-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈala] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ay” - see the side-by-side comparison. ala vs ay
  • 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