gradual

[gɾaˈð̞wal]

/[gɾaˈð̞wal]/ adj

The verdict

“gradual” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #12,611 in Spanish word frequency and used as an adjective.

#12,611
frequency rank, Spanish
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Que está por grados o va de grado en grado.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gradual vs gradué
71% similar
gradual vs grada
71% similar
gradual vs gradas
71% similar

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

Key facts for gradual
PropertyValue
Headwordgradual
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[gɾaˈð̞wal]
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,611
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gradual” 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). gradual 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 gradual is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [gɾaˈð̞wal]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,611 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Que está por grados o va de grado en grado.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for gradual, with forms such as "gardual", "ggradual", and "gradaul". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "gradué", "grada", "gradas", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 gradual, spelled G-R-A-D-U-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Que está por grados o va de grado en grado.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gardual,ggradual,gradaul,graddual,graduall,gradula,graudal,grdaual,grradual,rgadual

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

gardual2ggradual1gradaul2graddual1graduall1gradula2graudal2grdaual2
Edit distance from "gradual"

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 "gradual"?
"gradual" is spelled G-R-A-D-U-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [gɾaˈð̞wal].
What does "gradual" mean?
As an adjective, "gradual" means: Que está por grados o va de grado en grado.
What words are commonly confused with "gradual"?
"gradual" is commonly confused with "gradué", "grada", "gradas". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gradual"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gradual" is [gɾaˈð̞wal]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gradual" come from?
"gradual" 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 “gradual”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is G-R-A-D-U-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [gɾaˈð̞wal] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “gradué” - see the side-by-side comparison. gradual vs gradué
  • 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