bravura

/bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/

//bɹəˈvjʊəɹə// noun

"bravura" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bravura” is uncommon English (frequency #68,889 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,889
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A highly technical or difficult piece, usually written for effect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bravura · bravura · English

bravura · rank #68,889 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,889
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bridgeman

Nearest frequency peer: bridgeman (+1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “bravura”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “bravura” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for bravura
PropertyValue
Headwordbravura
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#68,889
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bravura” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).bravurafalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “bridgeman” (#68,890), “bombast” (#68,887), “boggle” (#68,885). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bravura” is #68,889. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bravura is uncommon English at frequency #68,889 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for bravura, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian bravura (“skill”), from bravo (“good, skilful”). Compare bravado. The correct English form is bravura, spelled B-R-A-V-U-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A highly technical or difficult piece, usually written for effect.
  2. 2
    A display of daring.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how bravura appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Yet just as, in opposition to the majority, I admired Fosse's Nightsongs and The Girl On The Sofa, so I found myself absorbed by this 70-minute play; and, whatever it may mean, there is no denying the production's visual bravura.

Etymology

From Italian bravura (“skill”), from bravo (“good, skilful”). Compare bravado.

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bravura"?
"bravura" is spelled B-R-A-V-U-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/.
What does "bravura" mean?
As a noun, "bravura" means: A highly technical or difficult piece, usually written for effect.
How do you pronounce "bravura"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bravura" is /bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/. 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 "bravura"?
From Italian bravura (“skill”), from bravo (“good, skilful”). Compare bravado. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bravura", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list