rata

[ˈrat̪a]

/[ˈrat̪a]/ noun

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

The verdict

“rata” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #6,349 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,349
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Rattus spp.) Animal roedor, algo más grandes que sus parientes cercanos los ratones, pudiendo alcanzar los 500 gramos de peso. Existen unas 56 especies, de las cuales algunas son domésticas, y otr...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rata vs ray
50% similar
rata vs ría
50% similar
rata vs raw
50% similar

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

Key facts for rata
PropertyValue
Headwordrata
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈrat̪a]
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,349
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rata” 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). rata 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 rata is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈrat̪a]. Corpus data places it at rank #6,349 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 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 rata, with forms such as "arta", "raat", and "ratta". 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, "ray", "ría", "raw", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, 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 rata, spelled R-A-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Rattus spp.) Animal roedor, algo más grandes que sus parientes cercanos los ratones, pudiendo alcanzar los 500 gramos de peso. Existen unas 56 especies, de las cuales algunas son domésticas, y otras, muy agresivas, colonizan de manera oportunista el hábitat humano.
  2. 2
    Por extensión, varios roedores de tamaño mediano, como los del género Neotoma.
  3. 3
    Persona que provoca desprecio.
  4. 4
    Ladrón, persona que roba.
  5. 5
    Nombre usado durante la Guerra Civil española (años 1930) con el que el bando golpista se referia al avión ruso Polikárpov I-16.
  6. 6
    Persona reacia a gastar o compartir sus bienes, especialmente dinero.
  7. 7
    Persona astuta que oculta sus instintos bajos bajo una careta de amabilidad.

Synonyms

rateromosca

This word in other languages

rat(English)rat(Français)Ratte(Deutsch)ratazana(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: arta,raat,ratta,rrata,rtaa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rata - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

arta2raat2ratta1rrata1rtaa2
Edit distance from "rata"

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 "rata"?
"rata" is spelled R-A-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈrat̪a].
What does "rata" mean?
As a noun, "rata" means: (Rattus spp.) Animal roedor, algo más grandes que sus parientes cercanos los ratones, pudiendo alcanzar los 500 gramos de peso. Existen unas 56 especies, de las cuales algunas son domésticas, y otr...
What words are commonly confused with "rata"?
"rata" is commonly confused with "ray", "ría", "raw". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rata"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rata" is [ˈrat̪a]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rata" come from?
"rata" 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 “rata”

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

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