balsa

[ˈbalsa]

/[ˈbalsa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“balsa” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #20,278 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,278
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Depósito de agua que se forma naturalmente al inundarse una depresión.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

balsa vs bla
60% similar
balsa vs bas
60% similar
balsa vs base
60% similar

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

Key facts for balsa
PropertyValue
Headwordbalsa
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈbalsa]
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,278
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “balsa” 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). balsa 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 balsa is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbalsa]. Corpus data places it at rank #20,278 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 generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for balsa, with forms such as "ablsa", "ballsa", and "balssa". 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, "bla", "bas", "base", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is balsa, spelled B-A-L-S-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Depósito de agua que se forma naturalmente al inundarse una depresión.
  2. 2
    Depósito de agua creado artificialmente en un terreno.
  3. 3
    Árbol americano de la familia de las Borragináceas, con diversas variedades. Se caracteriza por tener una madera blanca, suave y muy ligera, que flota en el agua, y es utilizada en aeromodelismo.
  4. 4
    Madera de este árbol.
  5. 5
    Armazón de troncos unidos con cuerdas, que permite navegar y transportar carga, moviéndose con ayuda de las corrientes y una pértiga.
  6. 6
    Plataforma flotante hecha con cualquier clase de materiales, como metales, maderas, goma o plástico que sirve para desplazarse sobre el agua y transportar una carga.
  7. 7
    Estanque para los residuos líquidos de los molinos de aceite.

Synonyms

embalseestanquepresarepresatranquealmadíaarmadíajangada

This word in other languages

balsa(English)balsa(Français)Floß(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ablsa,ballsa,balssa,basla,bbalsa,blasa,valsa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of balsa - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ablsa2ballsa1balssa1basla2bbalsa1blasa2valsa1
Edit distance from "balsa"

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 "balsa"?
"balsa" is spelled B-A-L-S-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbalsa].
What does "balsa" mean?
As a noun, "balsa" means: Depósito de agua que se forma naturalmente al inundarse una depresión.
What words are commonly confused with "balsa"?
"balsa" is commonly confused with "bla", "bas", "base". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "balsa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "balsa" is [ˈbalsa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "balsa" come from?
"balsa" 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 “balsa”

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

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