chicharra

[t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara]

/[t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara]/ noun

The verdict

“chicharra” is an uncommon Spanish word, ranked #84,678 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#84,678
frequency rank, Spanish
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Variante de cigarra.

Key facts for chicharra
PropertyValue
Headwordchicharra
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara]
Letters9
Frequency rank#84,678
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chicharra” 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). chicharra 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 chicharra is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara]. Corpus data places it at rank #84,678 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

chicharra has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is chicharra, spelled C-H-I-C-H-A-R-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Variante de cigarra.
  2. 2
    Juguete que usan los niños por Navidad, y consiste generalmente en un canuto corto, tapado por uno de sus extremos con un pergamino estirado, en cuyo centro se coloca una cerda o una hebra de seda encerada. Pasando por ellas los dedos, hace un ruido tan desapacible como el canto de la cigarra.
  3. 3
    Persona muy habladora.
  4. 4
    Alarma sonora, sobre todo cuando es muy ruidosa.

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 "chicharra"?
"chicharra" is spelled C-H-I-C-H-A-R-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is [t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara].
What does "chicharra" mean?
As a noun, "chicharra" means: Variante de cigarra.
How do you pronounce "chicharra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chicharra" is [t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chicharra" come from?
"chicharra" 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 “chicharra”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-H-I-C-H-A-R-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [t͡ʃiˈt͡ʃara] (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
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