atajo

[aˈt̪axo]

/[aˈt̪axo]/ noun

The verdict

“atajo” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #26,712 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,712
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Camino más corto que se sale de la ruta marcada.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

atajo vs ateo
60% similar
atajo vs atar
60% similar
atajo vs Atan
40% similar

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

Key facts for atajo
PropertyValue
Headwordatajo
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[aˈt̪axo]
Letters5
Frequency rank#26,712
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “atajo” 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). atajo 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 atajo is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [aˈt̪axo]. Corpus data places it at rank #26,712 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for atajo, with forms such as "aatjo", "atajjo", and "ataoj". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ateo", "atar", "Atan", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is atajo, spelled A-T-A-J-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Camino más corto que se sale de la ruta marcada.
  2. 2
    Forma abreviada o más corta de hacer algo.
  3. 3
    Disociación o desunión de algo.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aatjo,atajjo,ataoj,atjao,attajo,taajo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of atajo - 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.

aatjo2atajjo1ataoj2atjao2attajo1taajo2
Edit distance from "atajo"

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 "atajo"?
"atajo" is spelled A-T-A-J-O. The IPA pronunciation is [aˈt̪axo].
What does "atajo" mean?
As a noun, "atajo" means: Camino más corto que se sale de la ruta marcada.
What words are commonly confused with "atajo"?
"atajo" is commonly confused with "ateo", "atar", "Atan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "atajo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "atajo" is [aˈt̪axo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "atajo" come from?
"atajo" 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 “atajo”

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

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