chulo

[ˈt͡ʃulo]

/[ˈt͡ʃulo]/ noun

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

The verdict

“chulo” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #17,902 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,902
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Persona (normalmente del sexo masculino) que lucra con el ejercicio sexual de terceros.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chulo vs cul
60% similar
chulo vs cuyo
60% similar
chulo vs culo
80% similar

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

Key facts for chulo
PropertyValue
Headwordchulo
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡ʃulo]
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,902
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chulo” 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). chulo 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 chulo is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈt͡ʃulo]. Corpus data places it at rank #17,902 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for chulo, with forms such as "cchulo", "chhulo", and "chluo". 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, "cul", "cuyo", "culo", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is chulo, spelled C-H-U-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Persona (normalmente del sexo masculino) que lucra con el ejercicio sexual de terceros.
  2. 2
    Asistente que se ocupa de encerrar los animales en el matadero.
  3. 3
    Asistente que facilita los utensilios necesarios a los picadores y banderilleros en la lidia de toros.
  4. 4
    (Coragyps atratus) Ave carroñera de la familia de los catártidos, nativa de las zonas templadas, subtropicales y tropicales de América, de plumaje negro, cabeza desnuda de color gris, pico recto de color blanquecino, y patas ligeramente palmeadas. Alcanza los 70 cm de largo y los 150 cm de envergadura de alas.

Synonyms

buitre negrobuitre negro americanogallinazogallinazo negrogallotegolerojotejote de cabeza negranopozamurozopilote común

This word in other languages

pimp(English)souteneur(Français)Zuhälter(Deutsch)cáften(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchulo,chhulo,chluo,chullo,chuol,cuhlo,hculo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchulo1chhulo1chluo2chullo1chuol2cuhlo2hculo2
Edit distance from "chulo"

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 "chulo"?
"chulo" is spelled C-H-U-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡ʃulo].
What does "chulo" mean?
As a noun, "chulo" means: Persona (normalmente del sexo masculino) que lucra con el ejercicio sexual de terceros.
What words are commonly confused with "chulo"?
"chulo" is commonly confused with "cul", "cuyo", "culo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chulo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chulo" is [ˈt͡ʃulo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chulo" come from?
"chulo" 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 “chulo”

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

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