alpaca

[alˈpaka]

/[alˈpaka]/ noun

The verdict

“alpaca” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #42,244 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,244
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Vicugna pacos) Nombre común de una especie doméstica de mamífero artiodáctilo de la familia Camelidae con lana muy apreciada. Es una de las cuatro especies de camélidos de Sudamérica, mide un metr...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alpaca vs ataca
67% similar
alpaca vs apaga
67% similar
alpaca vs alpha
67% similar

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

Key facts for alpaca
PropertyValue
Headwordalpaca
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[alˈpaka]
Letters6
Frequency rank#42,244
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “alpaca” 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). alpaca 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 alpaca is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [alˈpaka]. Corpus data places it at rank #42,244 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for alpaca, with forms such as "alapca", "allpaca", and "alpaac". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "ataca", "apaga", "alpha", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is alpaca, spelled A-L-P-A-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Vicugna pacos) Nombre común de una especie doméstica de mamífero artiodáctilo de la familia Camelidae con lana muy apreciada. Es una de las cuatro especies de camélidos de Sudamérica, mide un metro en la cruz y tiene su área de distribución principal en los Andes Centrales.
  2. 2
    Pelo de la alpaca.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alapca,allpaca,alpaac,alpacca,alpcaa,alppaca,aplaca,lapaca

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of alpaca - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

alapca2allpaca1alpaac2alpacca1alpcaa2alppaca1aplaca2lapaca2
Edit distance from "alpaca"

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 "alpaca"?
"alpaca" is spelled A-L-P-A-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is [alˈpaka].
What does "alpaca" mean?
As a noun, "alpaca" means: (Vicugna pacos) Nombre común de una especie doméstica de mamífero artiodáctilo de la familia Camelidae con lana muy apreciada. Es una de las cuatro especies de camélidos de Sudamérica, mide un metr...
What words are commonly confused with "alpaca"?
"alpaca" is commonly confused with "ataca", "apaga", "alpha". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alpaca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alpaca" is [alˈpaka]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "alpaca" come from?
"alpaca" 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 “alpaca”

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

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