cabal

[kaˈβ̞al]

/[kaˈβ̞al]/ adj

The verdict

“cabal” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #22,594 in Spanish word frequency and used as an adjective.

#22,594
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ajustado a peso o medida.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cabal vs cal
60% similar
cabal vs cada
60% similar
cabal vs casa
60% similar

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

Key facts for cabal
PropertyValue
Headwordcabal
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[kaˈβ̞al]
Letters5
Frequency rank#22,594
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cabal” 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). cabal 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 cabal is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kaˈβ̞al]. Corpus data places it at rank #22,594 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cabal, with forms such as "acbal", "caabl", and "caball". 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, "cal", "cada", "casa", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is cabal, spelled C-A-B-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ajustado a peso o medida.
  2. 2
    Dícese de lo que cabe a cada uno.
  3. 3
    Íntegro, completo, acabado.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acbal,caabl,caball,cabbal,cabla,caval,cbaal,ccabal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acbal2caabl2caball1cabbal1cabla2caval1cbaal2ccabal1
Edit distance from "cabal"

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 "cabal"?
"cabal" is spelled C-A-B-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [kaˈβ̞al].
What does "cabal" mean?
As an adjective, "cabal" means: Ajustado a peso o medida.
What words are commonly confused with "cabal"?
"cabal" is commonly confused with "cal", "cada", "casa". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cabal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cabal" is [kaˈβ̞al]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cabal" come from?
"cabal" 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 “cabal”

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

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