puma

[ˈpuma]

/[ˈpuma]/ noun

The verdict

“puma” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #16,688 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,688
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Puma concolor, sin. Felis concolor) Felino originario de América, el mayor del continente tras el jaguar; tiene pelaje de color rojizo o pardo, que le sirve para mimetizarse en las regiones de lla...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

puma vs put
50% similar
puma vs pus
50% similar
puma vs pun
50% similar

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

Key facts for puma
PropertyValue
Headwordpuma
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈpuma]
Letters4
Frequency rank#16,688
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “puma” 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). puma 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 puma is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpuma]. Corpus data places it at rank #16,688 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 puma, with forms such as "pmua", "ppuma", and "puam". 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, "put", "pus", "pun", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, 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 puma, spelled P-U-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Puma concolor, sin. Felis concolor) Felino originario de América, el mayor del continente tras el jaguar; tiene pelaje de color rojizo o pardo, que le sirve para mimetizarse en las regiones de llanura o montaña que habita. Solía estar distribuido por todo el continente, pero su hábitat está en franco retroceso.
  2. 2
    Figurativamente, persona de mucho arrojo o capacidad.

Synonyms

leónleón americanoleón de montaña

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pmua,ppuma,puam,pumma,upma

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of puma - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

pmua2ppuma1puam2pumma1upma2
Edit distance from "puma"

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 "puma"?
"puma" is spelled P-U-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpuma].
What does "puma" mean?
As a noun, "puma" means: (Puma concolor, sin. Felis concolor) Felino originario de América, el mayor del continente tras el jaguar; tiene pelaje de color rojizo o pardo, que le sirve para mimetizarse en las regiones de lla...
What words are commonly confused with "puma"?
"puma" is commonly confused with "put", "pus", "pun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "puma"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "puma" is [ˈpuma]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "puma" come from?
"puma" 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 “puma”

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

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