terror

[t̪eˈroɾ]

/[t̪eˈroɾ]/ noun

The verdict

“terror” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #3,025 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,025
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Miedo, espanto.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

terror vs turrón
50% similar
terror vs temor
67% similar
terror vs Tenor
50% similar

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

Key facts for terror
PropertyValue
Headwordterror
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[t̪eˈroɾ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,025
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “terror” 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). terror 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 terror is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t̪eˈroɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,025 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for terror, with forms such as "etrror", "teror", and "terorr". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "turrón", "temor", "Tenor", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is terror, spelled T-E-R-R-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Miedo, espanto.
  2. 2
    Miedo de gran intensidad.
  3. 3
    Persona que por su personalidad o hazañas infunde un miedo intenso de encontrarlo o enfrentarlo.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etrror,teror,terorr,terrorr,terrro,treror,tterror

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrror2teror1terorr2terrorr1terrro2treror2tterror1
Edit distance from "terror"

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 "terror"?
"terror" is spelled T-E-R-R-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪eˈroɾ].
What does "terror" mean?
As a noun, "terror" means: Miedo, espanto.
What words are commonly confused with "terror"?
"terror" is commonly confused with "turrón", "temor", "Tenor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terror"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terror" is [t̪eˈroɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "terror" come from?
"terror" 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 “terror”

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

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