cobaya

[koˈβ̞aʝa]

/[koˈβ̞aʝa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“cobaya” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #92,820 among 77,812 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,820
frequency rank, Spanish
77,812
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mamífero roedor sudamericano, estrictamente herbívoro. Pesa alrededor de un kilo, vive en áreas abiertas y utiliza hoyos y madrigueras para ocultarse y protegerse; tienen una longevidad de cuatro a...

Key facts for cobaya
PropertyValue
Headwordcobaya
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[koˈβ̞aʝa]
Letters6
Frequency rank#92,820
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cobaya” 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). cobaya lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cobaya is uncommon Spanish at frequency #92,820 among 77,812 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [koˈβ̞aʝa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for cobaya in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is cobaya, spelled C-O-B-A-Y-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mamífero roedor sudamericano, estrictamente herbívoro. Pesa alrededor de un kilo, vive en áreas abiertas y utiliza hoyos y madrigueras para ocultarse y protegerse; tienen una longevidad de cuatro a seis o también de diez años. Los incas domesticaron y criaron estos roedores para aprovechar su carne y su piel. En la actualidad se les cría para usarlos en experimentos científicos y cada vez más, para tenerlos como mascotas.
  2. 2
    Persona utilizada para probar tratamientos, productos químicos o farmacéuticos y observar el resultado o efecto de tales experimentaciones.

Synonyms

conejillo de Indiascobayocuícuyecuycuyocuyé

This word in other languages

guinea pig(English)cochon d'Inde(Français)Meerschweinchen(Deutsch)

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 "cobaya"?
"cobaya" is spelled C-O-B-A-Y-A. The IPA pronunciation is [koˈβ̞aʝa].
What does "cobaya" mean?
As a noun, "cobaya" means: Mamífero roedor sudamericano, estrictamente herbívoro. Pesa alrededor de un kilo, vive en áreas abiertas y utiliza hoyos y madrigueras para ocultarse y protegerse; tienen una longevidad de cuatro a...
How do you pronounce "cobaya"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cobaya" is [koˈβ̞aʝa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cobaya" come from?
"cobaya" 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 “cobaya”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-O-B-A-Y-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [koˈβ̞aʝa] (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

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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