empanada
[ẽmpaˈnað̞a]
The verdict
“empanada” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #21,313 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.
- #21,313
- frequency rank, Spanish
- 8
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 11
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Manjar formado por una delgada masa de harina, plegada sobre sí misma encerrando un relleno de carne, huevo, marisco, fruta, etc.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | empanada |
| Language | Spanish |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | [ẽmpaˈnað̞a] |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #21,313 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 11 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “empanada” sits in Spanish frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The Spanish entry for empanada is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ẽmpaˈnað̞a]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,313 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for empanada, with forms such as "emapnada", "emmpanada", and "empaanda". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "empleada", "empeñado", "engañada", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is empanada, spelled E-M-P-A-N-A-D-A.
Definition
- 1Manjar formado por una delgada masa de harina, plegada sobre sí misma encerrando un relleno de carne, huevo, marisco, fruta, etc.
- 2golosina hecha con plátano maduro y machacado con el cual se forma una especie de bollo alargado y relleno de frijól molido o leche que luego se pone a freír.
- 3Acción y efecto de disimular o esconder algún negocio ilícito.
- 4Masa de maíz rellena de carne picada, queso u otros ingredientes en forma semicircular que se fríe en Aceite hirviendo.
Synonyms
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: emapnada,emmpanada,empaanda,empanaad,empanadda,empandaa,empannada,empnaada,emppanada,epmanada,mepanada
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of empanada - 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.
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 "empanada"?
What does "empanada" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "empanada"?
How do you pronounce "empanada"?
What language does "empanada" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “empanada”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct Spanish spelling is E-M-P-A-N-A-D-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ẽmpaˈnað̞a] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “empleada” - see the side-by-side comparison. empanada vs empleada
- 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.