mala hierba

[ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a]

/[ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a]/ phrase

The verdict

“mala hierba” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cualquier especie vegetal, especialmente hierba o planta pequeña, que crece y se extiende de forma silvestre, en particular si su presencia o efectos contradicen los deseos humanos (en cultivos, ja...

Key facts for mala hierba
PropertyValue
Headwordmala hierba
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mala hierba” sits in Spanish frequency

mala hierba falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for mala hierba is 11 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Cualquier especie vegetal, especialmente hierba o planta pequeña, que crece y se extiende de forma silvestre, en particular si su presencia o efectos contradicen los deseos humanos (en cultivos, ja...".

Zero misspellings are on record for mala hierba in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is mala hierba, spelled M-A-L-A- -H-I-E-R-B-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cualquier especie vegetal, especialmente hierba o planta pequeña, que crece y se extiende de forma silvestre, en particular si su presencia o efectos contradicen los deseos humanos (en cultivos, jardines, césped, aceras, vías, nutrición, etc.).

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mala hierba"?
"mala hierba" is spelled M-A-L-A- -H-I-E-R-B-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a].
What does "mala hierba" mean?
As a phrase, "mala hierba" means: Cualquier especie vegetal, especialmente hierba o planta pequeña, que crece y se extiende de forma silvestre, en particular si su presencia o efectos contradicen los deseos humanos (en cultivos, ja...
How do you pronounce "mala hierba"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mala hierba" is [ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mala hierba" come from?
"mala hierba" 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 “mala hierba”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is M-A-L-A- -H-I-E-R-B-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmala ˈjeɾβ̞a] (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
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