represalia

[repɾeˈsalja]

/[repɾeˈsalja]/ noun

The verdict

“represalia” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #21,138 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,138
frequency rank, Spanish
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Derecho que se arrogan los enemigos para causarse recíprocamente igual o mayor daño que el que han recibido.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

represalia vs represalias
91% similar
represalia vs regresaría
70% similar

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

Key facts for represalia
PropertyValue
Headwordrepresalia
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[repɾeˈsalja]
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,138
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “represalia” 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). represalia 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 represalia is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [repɾeˈsalja]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,138 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 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for represalia, with forms such as "erpresalia", "repersalia", and "reppresalia". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "represalias", "regresaría", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is represalia, spelled R-E-P-R-E-S-A-L-I-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Derecho que se arrogan los enemigos para causarse recíprocamente igual o mayor daño que el que han recibido.
  2. 2
    Retención de los bienes de una nación con quien se está en guerra, o (retención) de sus individuos.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erpresalia,repersalia,reppresalia,repreaslia,represaila,represalai,represallia,represlaia,repressalia,reprresalia,reprsealia,rerpesalia,rperesalia,rrepresalia

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erpresalia2repersalia2reppresalia1repreaslia2represaila2represalai2represallia1represlaia2
Edit distance from "represalia"

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 "represalia"?
"represalia" is spelled R-E-P-R-E-S-A-L-I-A. The IPA pronunciation is [repɾeˈsalja].
What does "represalia" mean?
As a noun, "represalia" means: Derecho que se arrogan los enemigos para causarse recíprocamente igual o mayor daño que el que han recibido.
What words are commonly confused with "represalia"?
"represalia" is commonly confused with "represalias", "regresaría". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "represalia"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "represalia" is [repɾeˈsalja]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "represalia" come from?
"represalia" 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 “represalia”

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

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