You may have noticed that some people write “Cuzco” while others use “Cusco” when referring to the city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. You might be wondering which spelling is correct.
When the Spanish arrived in the region, the Incas did not have a written language. Consequently, the Spanish spelled the city as “Cuzco” after hearing its name. In Quechua, the native language of the Incas, alternative spellings like “Qosqo” or “Qosqu” were also used.
Around 40 years ago, the mayor of the city officially changed the spelling to “Cusco.” This change was made because the Quechua language does not have a “z” sound, making the “Cusco” spelling closer to the original Quechua pronunciation.
Today, “Cusco” is the preferred spelling in Peru and is widely used internationally. However, in Spain and many other Latin American countries, you may still come across the “Cuzco” spelling.
