cantaleta

[kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a]

/[kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a]/ noun

The verdict

“cantaleta” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #78,005 among 77,812 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,005
frequency rank, Spanish
77,812
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Canción, ruido o confusión con que se hacía burla o mofa.

Key facts for cantaleta
PropertyValue
Headwordcantaleta
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a]
Letters9
Frequency rank#78,005
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cantaleta” 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). cantaleta lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cantaleta is uncommon Spanish at frequency #78,005 among 77,812 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cantaleta, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Spanish rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is cantaleta, spelled C-A-N-T-A-L-E-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Canción, ruido o confusión con que se hacía burla o mofa.
  2. 2
    Broma o engaño para reírse de alguien.
  3. 3
    Repetición frecuente de algo dicho, como estribillos, muletillas, quejas, advertencias o regaños.
  4. 4
    Regaño o advertencia que se reitera hasta cansar o fastidiar; sermón.
  5. 5
    Tema muy manoseado y sabido.

Synonyms

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 "cantaleta"?
"cantaleta" is spelled C-A-N-T-A-L-E-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is [kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a].
What does "cantaleta" mean?
As a noun, "cantaleta" means: Canción, ruido o confusión con que se hacía burla o mofa.
How do you pronounce "cantaleta"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cantaleta" is [kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cantaleta" come from?
"cantaleta" 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 “cantaleta”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-A-N-T-A-L-E-T-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [kãn̪t̪aˈlet̪a] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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