cuña

[ˈkuɲa]

/[ˈkuɲa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“cuña” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #24,091) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#24,091
frequency rank, Spanish
77,812
“C” headwords
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pequeña pieza de madera o metal, con un borde más delgado, que se introduce entre otras dos piezas para ajustarlas, ensamblarlas, partirlas, separarlas o apretarlas.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cuña vs cup
50% similar
cuña vs cut
50% similar
cuña vs cuyo
50% similar

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

Key facts for cuña
PropertyValue
Headwordcuña
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈkuɲa]
Letters4
Frequency rank#24,091
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cuña” 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). cuña lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for cuña is neighbouring look-alikes ("cup", "cut", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced [ˈkuɲa]. Frequency #24,091 among 77,812 “C” headwords. 5 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for cuña, with forms such as "ccuña", "cuañ", and "cñua". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cup", "cut", "cuyo", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is cuña, spelled C-U-Ñ-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pequeña pieza de madera o metal, con un borde más delgado, que se introduce entre otras dos piezas para ajustarlas, ensamblarlas, partirlas, separarlas o apretarlas.
  2. 2
    Motivo de distanciamiento entre dos personas, introducido por un tercero.
  3. 3
    Grabación corta de un pedazo de entrevista o declaraciones, que se usa como forma ilustrativa en medios radiales, comúnmente en los noticiarios.
  4. 4
    Persona o relación que favorece a otro en la búsqueda de un empleo o en una diligencia burocrática.
  5. 5
    Comercial de televisión.

Synonyms

enchufepublicidadpropaganda

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccuña
  • cuañ
  • cñua
  • ucña

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cuña - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccuña1cuañ2cñua2ucña2
Edit distance from "cuña"

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 "cuña"?
"cuña" is spelled C-U-Ñ-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkuɲa].
What does "cuña" mean?
As a noun, "cuña" means: Pequeña pieza de madera o metal, con un borde más delgado, que se introduce entre otras dos piezas para ajustarlas, ensamblarlas, partirlas, separarlas o apretarlas.
What words are commonly confused with "cuña"?
"cuña" is commonly confused with "cup", "cut", "cuyo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cuña"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cuña" is [ˈkuɲa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cuña" come from?
"cuña" 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 “cuña”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-U-Ñ-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈkuɲa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cup” - see the side-by-side comparison. cuña vs cup
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Words at a similar Spanish frequency

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