pena

[ˈpena]

/[ˈpena]/ noun

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

The verdict

“pena” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #616 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#616
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Castigo impuesto por autoridad legítima a quien ha cometido un delito o falta.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pena vs Per
25% similar
pena vs pez
50% similar
pena vs pon
50% similar

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

Key facts for pena
PropertyValue
Headwordpena
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈpena]
Letters4
Frequency rank#616
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pena” 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). pena 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 pena is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpena]. Corpus data places it at rank #616 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for pena, with forms such as "epna", "pean", and "penna". 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, "Per", "pez", "pon", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is pena, spelled P-E-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Castigo impuesto por autoridad legítima a quien ha cometido un delito o falta.
  2. 2
    Cuidado, aflicción o sentimiento interior grande.
  3. 3
    Dolor, tormento o sentimiento corporal.
  4. 4
    Dificultad, trabajo.
  5. 5
    Cinta adornada con una joya en cada punta, que usaban las mujeres anudándola al cuello y dejando los cabos pendientes sobre el pecho.
  6. 6
    Galeras.
  7. 7
    Vergüenza, timidez.
  8. 8
    Sinceridad en lo dicho o en las acciones.
  9. 9
    Introversión, taciturnidad, timidez.
  10. 10
    Leve dolor corporal.

Synonyms

castigocondenasentenciapenita

This word in other languages

pain(English)peine(Français)Schmerz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epna,pean,penna,pnea,ppena

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epna2pean2penna1pnea2ppena1
Edit distance from "pena"

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 "pena"?
"pena" is spelled P-E-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpena].
What does "pena" mean?
As a noun, "pena" means: Castigo impuesto por autoridad legítima a quien ha cometido un delito o falta.
What words are commonly confused with "pena"?
"pena" is commonly confused with "Per", "pez", "pon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pena"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pena" is [ˈpena]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pena" come from?
"pena" 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 “pena”

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

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