tornillo

[t̪oɾˈniʝo]

/[t̪oɾˈniʝo]/ noun

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

The verdict

“tornillo” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #18,103 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,103
frequency rank, Spanish
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pieza de forma cilíndrica o cónica, con una estría helicoidal a lo largo que permite enroscarla en otro objeto. Algunos pueden enroscarse solos, otros requieren tuercas para fijarlos.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tornillo vs trillo
75% similar
tornillo vs tortilla
75% similar
tornillo vs tornillos
89% similar

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

Key facts for tornillo
PropertyValue
Headwordtornillo
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[t̪oɾˈniʝo]
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,103
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tornillo” 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). tornillo 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 tornillo is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t̪oɾˈniʝo]. Corpus data places it at rank #18,103 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 tornillo, with forms such as "otrnillo", "tonrillo", and "torinllo". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "trillo", "tortilla", "tornillos", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is tornillo, spelled T-O-R-N-I-L-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pieza de forma cilíndrica o cónica, con una estría helicoidal a lo largo que permite enroscarla en otro objeto. Algunos pueden enroscarse solos, otros requieren tuercas para fijarlos.
  2. 2
    Herramienta formada por dos mandíbulas, cuya distancia se regula mediante un tornillo₁, usada para fijar piezas a un banco de trabajo.
  3. 3
    (Prosopis pubescens) Arbusto de la familia de las fabáceas, nativo de las regiones áridas de Norteamérica, de hasta 7 m de altura, troncos espinosos, hojas bipinnadas y flores rojas, que fructifican dando una vaina de característica forma de tornillo₁, cuyas semillas se emplean en gastronomía.
  4. 4
    Aguda sensación de frío.
  5. 5
    Acción y efecto de desertar un soldado.
  6. 6
    Tipo de pasta alimenticia de forma helicoidal por analogía con la pieza metálica.

Synonyms

morsasargentorascadeserciónespiralfusilli

This word in other languages

screw(English)vis(Français)Schraube(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otrnillo,tonrillo,torinllo,tornilo,tornilol,tornlilo,tornnillo,torrnillo,tronillo,ttornillo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tornillo - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

otrnillo2tonrillo2torinllo2tornilo1tornilol2tornlilo2tornnillo1torrnillo1
Edit distance from "tornillo"

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 "tornillo"?
"tornillo" is spelled T-O-R-N-I-L-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪oɾˈniʝo].
What does "tornillo" mean?
As a noun, "tornillo" means: Pieza de forma cilíndrica o cónica, con una estría helicoidal a lo largo que permite enroscarla en otro objeto. Algunos pueden enroscarse solos, otros requieren tuercas para fijarlos.
What words are commonly confused with "tornillo"?
"tornillo" is commonly confused with "trillo", "tortilla", "tornillos". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tornillo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tornillo" is [t̪oɾˈniʝo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tornillo" come from?
"tornillo" 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 “tornillo”

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

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