castigar

[kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ]

/[kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“castigar” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #9,417 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,417
frequency rank, Spanish
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Imponer un castigo al que ha delinquido, infringido una regla o faltado en alguna cosa.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

castigar vs castigo
75% similar
castigar vs castigos
75% similar
castigar vs castigue
75% similar

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

Key facts for castigar
PropertyValue
Headwordcastigar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,417
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “castigar” 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). castigar 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 castigar is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,417 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for castigar, with forms such as "acstigar", "casitgar", and "casstigar". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "castigo", "castigos", "castigue", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is castigar, spelled C-A-S-T-I-G-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Imponer un castigo al que ha delinquido, infringido una regla o faltado en alguna cosa.
  2. 2
    Afligir, mortificar.
  3. 3
    Tratándose de algún escrito u obra literaria o artística, corregirlos o enmendarlos.
  4. 4
    Advertir, enseñar, prevenir.
  5. 5
    Ejercer una cosa sobre otra esfuerzos demasiado grandes de presión o de percusión.
  6. 6
    Estropear, herir, dañar, caer con fuerza sobre alguna cosa.
  7. 7
    Estimular al caballo para que galope.
  8. 8
    Golpear, sacudir.
  9. 9
    Tener relaciones sexuales con alguien.

Synonyms

sancionarespolear

This word in other languages

castigar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acstigar,casitgar,casstigar,castgiar,castiagr,castigarr,castiggar,castigra,casttigar,catsigar,ccastigar,csatigar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acstigar2casitgar2casstigar1castgiar2castiagr2castigarr1castiggar1castigra2
Edit distance from "castigar"

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 "castigar"?
"castigar" is spelled C-A-S-T-I-G-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ].
What does "castigar" mean?
As a verb, "castigar" means: Imponer un castigo al que ha delinquido, infringido una regla o faltado en alguna cosa.
What words are commonly confused with "castigar"?
"castigar" is commonly confused with "castigo", "castigos", "castigue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "castigar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "castigar" is [kast̪iˈɣ̞aɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "castigar" come from?
"castigar" 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 “castigar”

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

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