papel

[paˈpel]

/[paˈpel]/ noun

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

The verdict

“papel” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #593 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#593
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Material poroso, elaborado a partir de la pulpa de las fibras de diversos vegetales, y utilizado como soporte para la grafía escrita o impresa.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

papel vs pel
60% similar
papel vs pase
60% similar
papel vs piel
60% similar

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

Key facts for papel
PropertyValue
Headwordpapel
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[paˈpel]
Letters5
Frequency rank#593
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “papel” 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). papel 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 papel is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [paˈpel]. Corpus data places it at rank #593 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. 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 papel, with forms such as "appel", "paepl", and "papell". 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, "pel", "pase", "piel", 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 is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is papel, spelled P-A-P-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Material poroso, elaborado a partir de la pulpa de las fibras de diversos vegetales, y utilizado como soporte para la grafía escrita o impresa.
  2. 2
    Hoja o trozo de este material.
  3. 3
    Impreso de menor extensión que un folleto o libro.
  4. 4
    Personaje de una obra representada por un actor.
  5. 5
    Por extensión, función que una persona o cosa cumple en algún respecto.
  6. 6
    Valor o título que se pone a cotización en el mercado financiero.
  7. 7
    Documento oficial que acredita alguna cosa.

Synonyms

rolrol

This word in other languages

paper(English)papier(Français)Papier(Deutsch)papel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: appel,paepl,papell,paple,pappel,ppael,ppapel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

appel2paepl2papell1paple2pappel1ppael2ppapel1
Edit distance from "papel"

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 "papel"?
"papel" is spelled P-A-P-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is [paˈpel].
What does "papel" mean?
As a noun, "papel" means: Material poroso, elaborado a partir de la pulpa de las fibras de diversos vegetales, y utilizado como soporte para la grafía escrita o impresa.
What words are commonly confused with "papel"?
"papel" is commonly confused with "pel", "pase", "piel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "papel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "papel" is [paˈpel]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "papel" come from?
"papel" 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 “papel”

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

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