canalla

[kaˈnaʝa]

/[kaˈnaʝa]/ noun

The verdict

“canalla” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #20,595 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,595
frequency rank, Spanish
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Persona ruin y que actúa sin atender a ninguna moral.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

canalla vs canela
71% similar
canalla vs capilla
71% similar
canalla vs casilla
71% similar

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

Key facts for canalla
PropertyValue
Headwordcanalla
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kaˈnaʝa]
Letters7
Frequency rank#20,595
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “canalla” 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). canalla 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 canalla is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kaˈnaʝa]. Corpus data places it at rank #20,595 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 canalla, with forms such as "acnalla", "caanlla", and "canala". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "canela", "capilla", "casilla", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is canalla, spelled C-A-N-A-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Persona ruin y que actúa sin atender a ninguna moral.
  2. 2
    Hincha del Club Atlético Rosario Central.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acnalla,caanlla,canala,canalal,canlala,cannalla,ccanalla,cnaalla

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of canalla - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acnalla2caanlla2canala1canalal2canlala2cannalla1ccanalla1cnaalla2
Edit distance from "canalla"

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 "canalla"?
"canalla" is spelled C-A-N-A-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is [kaˈnaʝa].
What does "canalla" mean?
As a noun, "canalla" means: Persona ruin y que actúa sin atender a ninguna moral.
What words are commonly confused with "canalla"?
"canalla" is commonly confused with "canela", "capilla", "casilla". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "canalla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "canalla" is [kaˈnaʝa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "canalla" come from?
"canalla" 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 “canalla”

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

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