jugar

[xuˈɣ̞aɾ]

/[xuˈɣ̞aɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“jugar” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #790 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#790
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Hacer algo con el alegría y con el solo fin de divertirse o entretenerse.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

jugar vs jugo
60% similar
jugar vs jura
60% similar
jugar vs juzga
60% similar

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

Key facts for jugar
PropertyValue
Headwordjugar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[xuˈɣ̞aɾ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#790
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jugar” 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). jugar 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 jugar is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [xuˈɣ̞aɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #790 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for jugar, with forms such as "jguar", "jjugar", and "juagr". 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, "jugo", "jura", "juzga", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 jugar, spelled J-U-G-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Hacer algo con el alegría y con el solo fin de divertirse o entretenerse.
  2. 2
    Travesear, retozar.
  3. 3
    Entretenerse, divertirse tomando en uno de los juegos sometidos a reglas, ya medie o no el interés.
  4. 4
    Tomar parte en uno de los juegos sometidos a reglas, no para divertirse, sino para satisfacer inclinación viciosa o con el solo fin de ganar dinero.
  5. 5
    Llevar a cabo el jugador un acto propio del juego cada vez que le toca intervenir en él.
  6. 6
    En ciertos juegos de naipes, entrar₁₃.
  7. 7
    Burlarse de alguien.
  8. 8
    Ponerse una cosa que consta de piezas en movimiento o ejercicio para el objeto a que está destinada; p. ej.: las máquinas, las tramoyas en los teatros, etc.
  9. 9
    Dicho de un arma blanca o de fuego: Emplearla con el objetivo a que está destinada.
  10. 10
    Hacer juego.
  11. 11
    Intervenir o tener parte en un negocio.
  12. 12
    Finalizar, concretar, terminar.
  13. 13
    Dicho de un animal: Copular.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jguar,jjugar,juagr,jugarr,juggar,jugra,ujgar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

jguar2jjugar1juagr2jugarr1juggar1jugra2ujgar2
Edit distance from "jugar"

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 "jugar"?
"jugar" is spelled J-U-G-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [xuˈɣ̞aɾ].
What does "jugar" mean?
As a verb, "jugar" means: Hacer algo con el alegría y con el solo fin de divertirse o entretenerse.
What words are commonly confused with "jugar"?
"jugar" is commonly confused with "jugo", "jura", "juzga". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "jugar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jugar" is [xuˈɣ̞aɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "jugar" come from?
"jugar" 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 “jugar”

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

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