macho

[ˈmat͡ʃo]

/[ˈmat͡ʃo]/ noun

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

The verdict

“macho” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #4,802 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,802
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - En las especies de reproducción sexual, uno de los dos sexos, aquel que aporta el gameto de menor tamaño al cigoto y que entre los vertebrados no gesta internamente en ningún momento.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

macho vs mano
60% similar
macho vs mayo
60% similar
macho vs malo
60% similar

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

Key facts for macho
PropertyValue
Headwordmacho
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈmat͡ʃo]
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,802
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “macho” 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). macho 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 macho is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈmat͡ʃo]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,802 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 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 macho, with forms such as "amcho", "maccho", and "machho". 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, "mano", "mayo", "malo", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is macho, spelled M-A-C-H-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    En las especies de reproducción sexual, uno de los dos sexos, aquel que aporta el gameto de menor tamaño al cigoto y que entre los vertebrados no gesta internamente en ningún momento.
  2. 2
    Entre un par de dos conectores, aquella pieza cuyas partes a conectar protuberan.
  3. 3
    En los cuadrúpedos que tienen cola protuberante, tronco de la misma.
  4. 4
    Pilar de cascote, piedra o ladrillo, yeso o cal, que, intercalados entre tapias, forman las cabeceras de las mismas y sirven de gobierno y trabazón a la pared.
  5. 5
    Animal de carga, por lo general estéril, producto del cruce entre asnos y caballos.
  6. 6
    Pieza para hacer rosca a las tuercas cuando están aisladas.
  7. 7
    En la baraja española, el as de espadas.

Synonyms

macho de roscar

Antonyms

hembra

This word in other languages

male(English)mâle(Français)Männchen(Deutsch)macho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amcho,maccho,machho,macoh,mahco,mcaho,mmacho

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amcho2maccho1machho1macoh2mahco2mcaho2mmacho1
Edit distance from "macho"

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 "macho"?
"macho" is spelled M-A-C-H-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmat͡ʃo].
What does "macho" mean?
As a noun, "macho" means: En las especies de reproducción sexual, uno de los dos sexos, aquel que aporta el gameto de menor tamaño al cigoto y que entre los vertebrados no gesta internamente en ningún momento.
What words are commonly confused with "macho"?
"macho" is commonly confused with "mano", "mayo", "malo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "macho"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "macho" is [ˈmat͡ʃo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "macho" come from?
"macho" 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 “macho”

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

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