parar

[paˈɾaɾ]

/[paˈɾaɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“parar” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #2,259 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,259
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Detener; evitar el avance, el movimiento o la acción de algo o de alguien.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

parar vs pasa
60% similar
parar vs pura
60% similar
parar vs paro
60% similar

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

Key facts for parar
PropertyValue
Headwordparar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[paˈɾaɾ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,259
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “parar” 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). parar 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 parar is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [paˈɾaɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,259 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for parar, with forms such as "aprar", "paarr", and "pararr". 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, "pasa", "pura", "paro", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is parar, spelled P-A-R-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Detener; evitar el avance, el movimiento o la acción de algo o de alguien.
  2. 2
    Poner de pie, sobre los pies (y no sentado o acostado).
  3. 3
    Prevenir o preparar.
  4. 4
    Arriesgar dinero u otra cosa de valor a una suerte del juego.
  5. 5
    Hablando de los perros de caza, mostrarla, suspendiéndose al verla o descubrirla, o con alguna otra señal.
  6. 6
    Poner a alguien en estado diferente del que tenía.
  7. 7
    Quitar con la espada el golpe del contrario.
  8. 8
    Detener o empujar el balón un portero o arquero, evitando que la pelota entre en su arco o portería.
  9. 9
    Adornar, componer o ataviar una cosa.
  10. 10
    Ordenar, mandar, disponer.

Synonyms

detenerretener

This word in other languages

stop(English)arrêter(Français)parar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aprar,paarr,pararr,parrar,pparar,praar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprar2paarr2pararr1parrar1pparar1praar2
Edit distance from "parar"

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 "parar"?
"parar" is spelled P-A-R-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [paˈɾaɾ].
What does "parar" mean?
As a verb, "parar" means: Detener; evitar el avance, el movimiento o la acción de algo o de alguien.
What words are commonly confused with "parar"?
"parar" is commonly confused with "pasa", "pura", "paro". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parar" is [paˈɾaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "parar" come from?
"parar" 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 “parar”

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

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