chiva

[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a]

/[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a]/ noun

The verdict

“chiva” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #42,334 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,334
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Capra hircus) Mamífero doméstico de la subfamilia Caprinae, de aproximadamente un metro de altura, muy ágil para moverse entre riscos, con pelaje y cola cortos, cuernos hacia atrás y un mechón que...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chiva vs cía
40% similar
chiva vs cita
60% similar
chiva vs cima
60% similar

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

Key facts for chiva
PropertyValue
Headwordchiva
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a]
Letters5
Frequency rank#42,334
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chiva” 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). chiva 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 chiva is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a]. Corpus data places it at rank #42,334 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 21 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 chiva, with forms such as "cchiva", "chhiva", and "chiav". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cía", "cita", "cima", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is chiva, spelled C-H-I-V-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Capra hircus) Mamífero doméstico de la subfamilia Caprinae, de aproximadamente un metro de altura, muy ágil para moverse entre riscos, con pelaje y cola cortos, cuernos hacia atrás y un mechón que le cuelga de la barbilla.
  2. 2
    Hembra del chivo (Capra hircus).
  3. 3
    Cría de la cabra, chivo o chiva.
  4. 4
    Porción de barba que se deja crecer en el mentón, con o sin bigote, y con las mejillas afeitadas.
  5. 5
    Estilo de barba que cubre sobre todo el mentón y las mejillas, con la parte superior de los labios de menor espesor, o afeitada.
  6. 6
    Autobús de transporte público rural también llamado bus de escalera, generalmente decorado con diseños coloridos, con asientos de lado a lado a los que se ingresa por los costados completamente abiertos.
  7. 7
    Declaración contraria a la verdad.
  8. 8
    Noticia que se obtiene antes de que sea oficial y se convierte así en primicia informativa.
  9. 9
    Colilla de un cigarrillo.
  10. 10
    Buena suerte, fortuna.
  11. 11
    Delito, especialmente el de contrabando.
  12. 12
    Sustancia psicoactiva de tráfico ilegal, en particular la cocaína y la heroína.
  13. 13
    Bicicleta.
  14. 14
    Pieza rectangular de lana que sirve como abrigo en la cama.
  15. 15
    Objeto para regalar, alquilar o vender, casi siempre usado. Por lo general se refiere a una prenda de vestir.
  16. 16
    Mujer con quien se lleva una relación de noviazgo o relaciones íntimas por fuera del matrimonio.
  17. 17
    Mujer que gusta de coquetear y que tiene una moral relajada respecto al sexo.
  18. 18
    Impacto fuerte del mar.
  19. 19
    Partida de cartas (chivo), o de otro juego de azar, realizada de modo clandestino.
  20. 20
    Vehículo de transporte público de menor tamaño que un autobús, con asientos en que las personas quedaban frente a frente.
  21. 21
    Grano de maíz abierto como una rosa al tostarse.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchiva,chhiva,chiav,chiba,chivva,chvia,cihva,hciva

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chiva - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cchiva1chhiva1chiav2chiba1chivva1chvia2cihva2hciva2
Edit distance from "chiva"

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 "chiva"?
"chiva" is spelled C-H-I-V-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a].
What does "chiva" mean?
As a noun, "chiva" means: (Capra hircus) Mamífero doméstico de la subfamilia Caprinae, de aproximadamente un metro de altura, muy ágil para moverse entre riscos, con pelaje y cola cortos, cuernos hacia atrás y un mechón que...
What words are commonly confused with "chiva"?
"chiva" is commonly confused with "cía", "cita", "cima". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chiva"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chiva" is [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞a]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chiva" come from?
"chiva" 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 “chiva”

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

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