however

/haʊˈɛv.ə/

//haʊˈɛv.ə// adv

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

The verdict

“however” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #84,004 among 15,034 “H” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,004
frequency rank, Spanish
15,034
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sin embargo, no obstante.

Key facts for however
PropertyValue
Headwordhowever
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/haʊˈɛv.ə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#84,004
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “however” 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). however lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

however is uncommon Spanish at frequency #84,004 among 15,034 “H” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /haʊˈɛv.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

however doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is however, spelled H-O-W-E-V-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sin embargo, no obstante.
  2. 2
    En contraste.
  3. 3
    En cualquier grado o extensión. Utilizado con un adjetivo o un adverbio.
  4. 4
    De cualquier manera que a uno le guste o elija; de una manera accidental o espontánea.
  5. 5
    How ever: una forma enfática de how, usada para preguntar de qué manera.
  6. 6
    En cualquier caso, de todas maneras, en todo caso.

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 "however"?
"however" is spelled H-O-W-E-V-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /haʊˈɛv.ə/.
What does "however" mean?
As an adverb, "however" means: Sin embargo, no obstante.
How do you pronounce "however"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "however" is /haʊˈɛv.ə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "however" come from?
"however" 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 “however”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is H-O-W-E-V-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /haʊˈɛv.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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