para

[ˈpaɾa]

/[ˈpaɾa]/ prep

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

The verdict

“para” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #18 in Spanish word frequency and used as a preposition.

#18
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Indica el objetivo o finalidad de la acción.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

para vs por
50% similar
para vs paz
50% similar
para vs pro
50% similar

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

Key facts for para
PropertyValue
Headwordpara
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[ˈpaɾa]
Letters4
Frequency rank#18
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “para” 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). para 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 para is 4 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpaɾa]. Corpus data places it at rank #18 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 17 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 para, with forms such as "apra", "paar", and "ppara". 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, "por", "paz", "pro", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is para, spelled P-A-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Indica el objetivo o finalidad de la acción.
  2. 2
    Indica el uso o destino que se le da a algo.
  3. 3
    Indica el destinatario de la acción.
  4. 4
    Indica aptitudes personales.
  5. 5
    Indica la dirección o destino del movimiento.
  6. 6
    Indica un plazo o tiempo futuro impreciso.
  7. 7
    Indica el tiempo que transcurre para la acción o que dura un estado o situación.
  8. 8
    Indica la consecuencia previsible de un desgaste.
  9. 9
    Indica que alguien o algo no está tan mal o malo como se podría suponer.
  10. 10
    Indica que algo no es adecuado o proporcionado con lo que le corresponde o sus circunstancias.
  11. 11
    Indica acumulación de contrariedades.
  12. 12
    Indica el último elemento de un cúmulo de contrariedades en frases hechas.
  13. 13
    Junto a un verbo indica que se está pronto a efectuar la acción.
  14. 14
    Con pronombres personales como "mí", "ti", "si" y ciertos verbos indica un acto íntimo, secreto o interno, que no se comunica hacia los demás.
  15. 15
    Con algunos nombres y verbos, quiere decir "comprar para", "entregar a", "regalar a".
  16. 16
    Indica una opinión.
  17. 17
    Indica la cantidad de minutos que faltan desde los 30 minutos hasta el minuto 59 de una hora para alcanzar la hora siguiente.

Synonyms

deahaciapor

This word in other languages

for(English)pour(Français)para(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apra,paar,ppara,praa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apra2paar2ppara1praa2
Edit distance from "para"

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 "para"?
"para" is spelled P-A-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpaɾa].
What does "para" mean?
As a preposition, "para" means: Indica el objetivo o finalidad de la acción.
What words are commonly confused with "para"?
"para" is commonly confused with "por", "paz", "pro". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "para"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "para" is [ˈpaɾa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "para" come from?
"para" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “para”

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

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