espina

[esˈpina]

/[esˈpina]/ noun

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

The verdict

“espina” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #12,377 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,377
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Parte de una hoja, rama o tallo vegetal que se desarrolla alargada con terminación en punta.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

espina vs esposa
67% similar
espina vs estima
67% similar
espina vs espuma
67% similar

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

Key facts for espina
PropertyValue
Headwordespina
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[esˈpina]
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,377
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “espina” 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). espina 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 espina is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [esˈpina]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,377 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for espina, with forms such as "epsina", "esipna", and "espian". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "esposa", "estima", "espuma", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is espina, spelled E-S-P-I-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Parte de una hoja, rama o tallo vegetal que se desarrolla alargada con terminación en punta.
  2. 2
    Pedazo pequeño de madera o material similar, con forma alargada y puntiaguda.
  3. 3
    Partes del esqueleto de los peces con forma alargada y puntiaguda.
  4. 4
    Eje del esqueleto de los animales vertebrados que se encuentra en el centro de la zona dorsal del cuerpo.
  5. 5
    Duda o sospecha que punza el ánimo o el pensamiento sobre si algo es como se piensa o correcto moralmente.
  6. 6
    Tristeza o pena profunda, perdurable e íntima.
  7. 7
    Tipo de muro de poca altura y ornamentado que se encontraba en el centro del circo romano y alrededor del cual corrían los competidores.
  8. 8
    Parte saliente, larga y delgada de un hueso.
  9. 9
    Disgusto o rechazo emocional que alguien despierta en una persona.

Synonyms

columna vertebralespina dorsalespinazoraquisescrúpulopunzadarecelo

This word in other languages

thorn(English)épine(Français)Dorn(Deutsch)espinho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epsina,esipna,espian,espinna,espnia,esppina,esspina,sepina

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epsina2esipna2espian2espinna1espnia2esppina1esspina1sepina2
Edit distance from "espina"

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 "espina"?
"espina" is spelled E-S-P-I-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is [esˈpina].
What does "espina" mean?
As a noun, "espina" means: Parte de una hoja, rama o tallo vegetal que se desarrolla alargada con terminación en punta.
What words are commonly confused with "espina"?
"espina" is commonly confused with "esposa", "estima", "espuma". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "espina"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "espina" is [esˈpina]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "espina" come from?
"espina" 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 “espina”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is E-S-P-I-N-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [esˈpina] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “esposa” - see the side-by-side comparison. espina vs esposa
  • 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