púa

[ˈpua]

/[ˈpua]/ noun

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

The verdict

“púa” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #46,152 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#46,152
frequency rank, Spanish
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cuerpo de forma acicular, flexible, con punta afilada.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

púa vs py
33% similar
púa vs pub
33% similar
púa vs pum
33% similar

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

Key facts for púa
PropertyValue
Headwordpúa
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈpua]
Letters3
Frequency rank#46,152
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “púa” 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). púa 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 púa is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpua]. Corpus data places it at rank #46,152 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

púa has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "py", "pub", "pum", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is púa, spelled P-Ú-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cuerpo de forma acicular, flexible, con punta afilada.
  2. 2
    En particular, cada una de las púas que forman la defensa natural de un erizo o puercoespín.
  3. 3
    Plectro semirrígido usado para pulsar las cuerdas en algunos instrumentos musicales.
  4. 4
    Estilo o aguja que recorre la superficie del surco donde la información se guarda en los discos de vinilo, para transmitirla al equipo productor de sonido.
  5. 5
    Vástago de un vegetal que se injerta sobre otro, llamado pie, para obtener un ejemplar más rústico o rendidor.
  6. 6
    Arma blanca.
  7. 7
    Persona avispada y sagaz que obtiene réditos de manera criminal.

Synonyms

agujaespina

This word in other languages

pic(Français)

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 "púa"?
"púa" is spelled P-Ú-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpua].
What does "púa" mean?
As a noun, "púa" means: Cuerpo de forma acicular, flexible, con punta afilada.
What words are commonly confused with "púa"?
"púa" is commonly confused with "py", "pub", "pum". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "púa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "púa" is [ˈpua]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "púa" come from?
"púa" 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 “púa”

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

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