Cusco

[ˈkusko]

/[ˈkusko]/ name

The verdict

“Cusco” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #13,431 in Spanish word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#13,431
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ciudad del Perú, situada a 3400metros sobre el nivel del mar, fundada por Manco Capac en el siglo xi, fue la capital del imperio inca hasta 1533. Centro arqueológico y turístico. A sus habitantes s...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Cusco vs cuyo
40% similar
Cusco vs Cuzco
80% similar
Cusco vs custom
50% similar

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

Key facts for Cusco
PropertyValue
HeadwordCusco
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[ˈkusko]
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,431
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Cusco” 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). Cusco 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 Cusco is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈkusko]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,431 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Ciudad del Perú, situada a 3400metros sobre el nivel del mar, fundada por Manco Capac en el siglo xi, fue la capital del imperio inca hasta 1533. Centro arqueológico y turístico. A sus habitantes s...".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Cusco, with forms such as "ccusco", "csuco", and "cucso". 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, "cuyo", "Cuzco", "custom", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 Cusco, spelled C-U-S-C-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ciudad del Perú, situada a 3400metros sobre el nivel del mar, fundada por Manco Capac en el siglo xi, fue la capital del imperio inca hasta 1533. Centro arqueológico y turístico. A sus habitantes se les llama cuzqueños.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccusco,csuco,cucso,cuscco,cusoc,cussco,ucsco

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccusco1csuco2cucso2cuscco1cusoc2cussco1ucsco2
Edit distance from "Cusco"

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 "Cusco"?
"Cusco" is spelled C-U-S-C-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkusko].
What does "Cusco" mean?
As a proper noun, "Cusco" means: Ciudad del Perú, situada a 3400metros sobre el nivel del mar, fundada por Manco Capac en el siglo xi, fue la capital del imperio inca hasta 1533. Centro arqueológico y turístico. A sus habitantes s...
What words are commonly confused with "Cusco"?
"Cusco" is commonly confused with "cuyo", "Cuzco", "custom". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Cusco"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Cusco" is [ˈkusko]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Cusco" come from?
"Cusco" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “Cusco”

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

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