inca

[ˈĩŋka]

/[ˈĩŋka]/ noun

The verdict

“inca” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #11,066 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,066
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Monarca o jefe supremo, considerado hijo del Sol, que gobernaba un vasto imperio precolombino en América del Sur, con capital en el Cuzco. El lenguaje simbólico con que el Inca se dirigía a las mas...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inca vs ira
50% similar
inca vs IVA
0% similar
inca vs isa
50% similar

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

Key facts for inca
PropertyValue
Headwordinca
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈĩŋka]
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,066
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inca” 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). inca 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 inca is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈĩŋka]. Corpus data places it at rank #11,066 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for inca, with forms such as "icna", "inac", and "incca". 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, "ira", "IVA", "isa", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is inca, spelled I-N-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Monarca o jefe supremo, considerado hijo del Sol, que gobernaba un vasto imperio precolombino en América del Sur, con capital en el Cuzco. El lenguaje simbólico con que el Inca se dirigía a las masas poseía implicancias mesiánicas vinculadas al mito de Inkarrí, gracias al cual no se mostraba solamente como rey y soberano legítimo, sino también como redentor, restaurador del mundo y salvador de los indígenas.
  2. 2
    Por extensión, cada uno de los miembros de la tribu primitiva que fundó dicho imperio (panaca o ayllu real).
  3. 3
    Moneda de la República del Perú durante la década de 1880.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: icna,inac,incca,innca

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inca - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

icna2inac2incca1innca1
Edit distance from "inca"

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 "inca"?
"inca" is spelled I-N-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈĩŋka].
What does "inca" mean?
As a noun, "inca" means: Monarca o jefe supremo, considerado hijo del Sol, que gobernaba un vasto imperio precolombino en América del Sur, con capital en el Cuzco. El lenguaje simbólico con que el Inca se dirigía a las mas...
What words are commonly confused with "inca"?
"inca" is commonly confused with "ira", "IVA", "isa". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inca" is [ˈĩŋka]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "inca" come from?
"inca" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “inca”

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

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