por si acaso

[poɾ si aˈkaso]

/[poɾ si aˈkaso]/ phrase

The verdict

“por si acaso” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Si acaso, en el poco probable caso de que...

Corpus desk

Index ES-por-si-acaso · por si acaso · Spanish

por si acaso · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for por si acaso
PropertyValue
Headwordpor si acaso
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[poɾ si aˈkaso]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “por si acaso” en español

por si acasoqueda fuera de las 100.000 palabras españolas más frecuentes, en la cola larga de vocabulario técnico, arcaico o raro, justo donde más se duda de la ortografía.

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

Rare enough to double-check

por si acaso is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [poɾ si aˈkaso]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Si acaso, en el poco probable caso de que...".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for por si acaso, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is por si acaso, spelled P-O-R- -S-I- -A-C-A-S-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Si acaso, en el poco probable caso de que...

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how por si acaso appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Yo soy Fígaro; todo el mundo sabe quién es Fígaro, y por si acaso alguien lo ignora, añadiré que Fígaro y Mariano José de Larra son tan uña y carne como el diputado Argüelles y la Constitución del año 12, y que no se puede herir al uno sin lastimar al otro

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 "por si acaso"?
"por si acaso" is spelled P-O-R- -S-I- -A-C-A-S-O. The IPA pronunciation is [poɾ si aˈkaso].
What does "por si acaso" mean?
As a phrase, "por si acaso" means: Si acaso, en el poco probable caso de que...
How do you pronounce "por si acaso"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "por si acaso" is [poɾ si aˈkaso]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "por si acaso" come from?
"por si acaso" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list