chispa

[ˈt͡ʃispa]

/[ˈt͡ʃispa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“chispa” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #13,636 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,636
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Partícula encendida que salta por el aire. Puede provenir del fuego, ser ocasionada por el choque o roce de dos cuerpos, como la rueda de un tren sobre un riel, o surgir al frotar un pedernal.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chispa vs chupa
67% similar
chispa vs cisma
67% similar
chispa vs chiva
67% similar

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

Key facts for chispa
PropertyValue
Headwordchispa
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡ʃispa]
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,636
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chispa” 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). chispa 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 chispa is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈt͡ʃispa]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,636 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for chispa, with forms such as "cchispa", "chhispa", and "chipsa". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "chupa", "cisma", "chiva", 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 easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is chispa, spelled C-H-I-S-P-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partícula encendida que salta por el aire. Puede provenir del fuego, ser ocasionada por el choque o roce de dos cuerpos, como la rueda de un tren sobre un riel, o surgir al frotar un pedernal.
  2. 2
    Gotita de lluvia o de agua que salta.
  3. 3
    Fenómeno luminoso ocasionado por una descarga eléctrica.
  4. 4
    Gran vivacidad y alegría.
  5. 5
    Corta cantidad o porción de algo.
  6. 6
    Ligera ebriedad.
  7. 7
    Diamante muy pequeño.

Synonyms

chiribitaagudezaingeniograciapizcabrizna

This word in other languages

spark(English)étincelle(Français)Funke(Deutsch)faísca(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchispa,chhispa,chipsa,chisap,chisppa,chisspa,chsipa,cihspa,hcispa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchispa1chhispa1chipsa2chisap2chisppa1chisspa1chsipa2cihspa2
Edit distance from "chispa"

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 "chispa"?
"chispa" is spelled C-H-I-S-P-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡ʃispa].
What does "chispa" mean?
As a noun, "chispa" means: Partícula encendida que salta por el aire. Puede provenir del fuego, ser ocasionada por el choque o roce de dos cuerpos, como la rueda de un tren sobre un riel, o surgir al frotar un pedernal.
What words are commonly confused with "chispa"?
"chispa" is commonly confused with "chupa", "cisma", "chiva". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chispa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chispa" is [ˈt͡ʃispa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chispa" come from?
"chispa" 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 “chispa”

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

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