zebra

[ˈseβ̞ɾa]

/[ˈseβ̞ɾa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“zebra” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #55,331 among 5,985 “Z” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,331
frequency rank, Spanish
5,985
“Z” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Grafía obsoleta de cebra.

Key facts for zebra
PropertyValue
Headwordzebra
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈseβ̞ɾa]
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,331
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zebra” 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). zebra lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

zebra is uncommon Spanish at frequency #55,331 among 5,985 “Z” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈseβ̞ɾa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Grafía obsoleta de cebra.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for zebra, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

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 zebra, spelled Z-E-B-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grafía obsoleta de cebra.

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 "zebra"?
"zebra" is spelled Z-E-B-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈseβ̞ɾa].
What does "zebra" mean?
As a noun, "zebra" means: Grafía obsoleta de cebra.
How do you pronounce "zebra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zebra" is [ˈseβ̞ɾa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zebra" come from?
"zebra" 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 “zebra”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is Z-E-B-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈseβ̞ɾa] (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

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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