auto da fe

/ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ/

//ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ// noun

"auto-da-fe" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“auto da fe” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The public announcement of the sentences imposed by the Inquisition on supposed heretics.

Corpus desk

Index EN-auto-da-fe · auto da fe · English

auto da fe · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for auto da fe
PropertyValue
Headwordauto da fe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “auto da fe” in English

auto da fefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

auto da fe is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for auto da fe in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from Portuguese auto da fé (“act/sentence of (the) faith”), in turn from Latin actus de fide. The correct English form is auto da fe, spelled A-U-T-O- -D-A- -F-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The public announcement of the sentences imposed by the Inquisition on supposed heretics.
  2. 2
    The public execution of those sentences, often by burning at the stake.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Portuguese auto da fé (“act/sentence of (the) faith”), in turn from Latin actus de fide.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "auto da fe"?
"auto da fe" is spelled A-U-T-O- -D-A- -F-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ/.
What does "auto da fe" mean?
As a noun, "auto da fe" means: The public announcement of the sentences imposed by the Inquisition on supposed heretics.
How do you pronounce "auto da fe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "auto da fe" is /ˈaʊtəʊ də ˈfeɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "auto da fe"?
Unadapted borrowing from Portuguese auto da fé (“act/sentence of (the) faith”), in turn from Latin actus de fide. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list