sombra

[ˈsõmbɾa]

/[ˈsõmbɾa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“sombra” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #3,216 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,216
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ausencia de luz.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sombra vs Sonora
50% similar
sombra vs Somoza
50% similar
sombra vs sonará
50% similar

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

Key facts for sombra
PropertyValue
Headwordsombra
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈsõmbɾa]
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,216
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sombra” 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). sombra 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 sombra is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈsõmbɾa]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,216 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for sombra, with forms such as "osmbra", "smobra", and "sobmra". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "Sonora", "Somoza", "sonará", 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 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 sombra, spelled S-O-M-B-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ausencia de luz.
  2. 2
    En particular, sombra₁ causada por el bloqueo de la luz por un cuerpo opaco.
  3. 3
    Por analogía, bloqueo de una señal de radio u otra similar por un cuerpo opaco a su longitud de onda.
  4. 4
    Espacio que se encuentra a la sombra _(1–3).
  5. 5
    Por analogía, ausencia de comprensión y entendimiento.
  6. 6
    Evidencia que permite inferir la existencia de otra cosa.
  7. 7
    Imagen espectral de un difunto.
  8. 8
    Desconocimiento en que se encuentra alguien por verse escondido por la fama o renombre de otro.
  9. 9
    Cuidado y atención que brinda una figura protectora.
  10. 10
    Falta en la perfección o acabamiento de algo.
  11. 11
    Parte de una pintura representada en sombras₁ para dar volumen a la imagen.
  12. 12
    Persona que sigue insistentemente a otra.
  13. 13
    Sustancia oscura que se aplica al párpado superior como maquillaje.
  14. 14
    Lado del ruedo que queda a la sombra₁ durante la lidia.
  15. 15
    Hoja de papel con renglones, que se coloca debajo de otra de papel de carta sin marcar para guiarse por aquellos al escribir.
  16. 16
    Tribunal que administra justicia.
  17. 17
    Cárcel.
  18. 18
    En una vela japonesa, el segmento más externo que indica, para un determinado período, los valores máximos y mínimos que se alcanzaron para las acciones de un determinado mercado.

Synonyms

oscuridadconfusiónignoraciaatisboindicioapariciónespectrofantasmadefectomáculamanchatarasombra de ojosfalsillajuzgado

This word in other languages

shade(English)ombre(Français)Schatten(Deutsch)sombra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osmbra,smobra,sobmra,sombar,sombbra,sombrra,sommbra,somrba,somvra,ssombra

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

osmbra2smobra2sobmra2sombar2sombbra1sombrra1sommbra1somrba2
Edit distance from "sombra"

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 "sombra"?
"sombra" is spelled S-O-M-B-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈsõmbɾa].
What does "sombra" mean?
As a noun, "sombra" means: Ausencia de luz.
What words are commonly confused with "sombra"?
"sombra" is commonly confused with "Sonora", "Somoza", "sonará". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sombra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sombra" is [ˈsõmbɾa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sombra" come from?
"sombra" 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 “sombra”

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

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