tocar

[t̪oˈkaɾ]

/[t̪oˈkaɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“tocar” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #2,138 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,138
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Percibir las cualidades de un objeto mediante el sentido del tacto.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tocar vs tor
60% similar
tocar vs toda
60% similar
tocar vs toma
60% similar

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

Key facts for tocar
PropertyValue
Headwordtocar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[t̪oˈkaɾ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,138
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tocar” 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). tocar 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 tocar is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t̪oˈkaɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,138 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 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 tocar, with forms such as "otcar", "tcoar", and "toacr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tor", "toda", "toma", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, 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 tocar, spelled T-O-C-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Percibir las cualidades de un objeto mediante el sentido del tacto.
  2. 2
    Poner dos objetos en contacto.
  3. 3
    Producir sonidos utilizando un instrumento musical.
  4. 4
    Por extensión, interpretar una obra musical.
  5. 5
    Alterar, modificar o meterle mano a algo.
  6. 6
    Dar toques o pinceladas sobre lo pintado, para su mayor efecto.
  7. 7
    Dañar o destruir.
  8. 8
    Estimular, persuadir, inspirar.
  9. 9
    Saber o conocer una cosa por experiencia.
  10. 10
    Llegar o arribar, sólo de paso, a algún lugar.
  11. 11
    Tratar o hablar leve o superficialmente de una materia sin hacer asunto principal de ella.
  12. 12
    Ensayar una pieza de oro o plata en la piedra de toque, para conocer la proporción de metal fino que contiene.
  13. 13
    Tirar un poco hacia afuera de los guarnes de un aparejo y soltar en seguida para facilitar su laboreo.
  14. 14
    Empezar a flamear una vela que va en viento, cuando comienza a perderle.
  15. 15
    Dar suavemente con la quilla en el fondo.
  16. 16
    Pasar (hacer un pase corto a otro jugador).
  17. 17
    Ofertar (hacer una oferta a alguien).

Synonyms

palpartangirtactartañerpasardar

This word in other languages

touch(English)toucher(Français)spielen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otcar,tcoar,toacr,tocarr,toccar,tocra,ttocar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tocar - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

otcar2tcoar2toacr2tocarr1toccar1tocra2ttocar1
Edit distance from "tocar"

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 "tocar"?
"tocar" is spelled T-O-C-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪oˈkaɾ].
What does "tocar" mean?
As a verb, "tocar" means: Percibir las cualidades de un objeto mediante el sentido del tacto.
What words are commonly confused with "tocar"?
"tocar" is commonly confused with "tor", "toda", "toma". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tocar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tocar" is [t̪oˈkaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tocar" come from?
"tocar" 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 “tocar”

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

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