sambuca

[sãmˈbuka]

/[sãmˈbuka]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Antiguo instrumento músico de cuerda, semejante al arpa.

Key facts for sambuca
PropertyValue
Headwordsambuca
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[sãmˈbuka]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sambuca” sits in Spanish frequency

sambuca falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

sambuca is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [sãmˈbuka]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

sambuca doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is sambuca, spelled S-A-M-B-U-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Antiguo instrumento músico de cuerda, semejante al arpa.
  2. 2
    Máquina antigua de guerra, formada por una armazón de maderos y una plataforma giratoria en ellos, que subía y bajaba con cuerdas, para caer como puente sobre los muros de una ciudad y facilitar el asalto.
  3. 3
    Licor dulce y fuerte basado en el anís, típico de Italia y más concretamente de Lacio.

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 "sambuca"?
"sambuca" is spelled S-A-M-B-U-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is [sãmˈbuka].
What does "sambuca" mean?
As a noun, "sambuca" means: Antiguo instrumento músico de cuerda, semejante al arpa.
How do you pronounce "sambuca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sambuca" is [sãmˈbuka]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sambuca" come from?
"sambuca" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “sambuca”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is S-A-M-B-U-C-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [sãmˈbuka] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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