Brazil

/bɹəˈzɪl/

//bɹəˈzɪl// name

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

"brazil" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Brazil” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,570 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#2,570
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large Portuguese-speaking country in South America. Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil. Capital: Brasília.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Brazil vs bail
50% similar
Brazil vs brain
50% similar
Brazil vs basil
50% similar

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

Key facts for Brazil
PropertyValue
HeadwordBrazil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/bɹəˈzɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,570
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Brazil” sits in English 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). Brazil 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 English entry for Brazil is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɹəˈzɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,570 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Brazil, with forms such as "barzil", "bbrazil", and "braizl". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "bail", "brain", "basil", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Portuguese Brazil, older spelling of Brasil, from brasil (“brazilwood”), originally ‘red like an ember’, from brasa (“ember”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brasō (“gleed, crackling coal”), and -il (“-ile, -like, -y”) from Latin -īlis (“adjective suffix”). The correct English form is Brazil, spelled B-R-A-Z-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large Portuguese-speaking country in South America. Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil. Capital: Brasília.
  2. 2
    A city, the county seat of Clay County, Indiana, United States.

Etymology

From Portuguese Brazil, older spelling of Brasil, from brasil (“brazilwood”), originally ‘red like an ember’, from brasa (“ember”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brasō (“gleed, crackling coal”), and -il (“-ile, -like, -y”) from Latin -īlis (“adjective suffix”).

This word in other languages

Brasil(Español)Brésil(Français)Brasilien(Deutsch)Brasil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: barzil,bbrazil,braizl,brazill,brazli,brazzil,brrazil,brzail,rbazil

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Brazil - 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.

barzil2bbrazil1braizl2brazill1brazli2brazzil1brrazil1brzail2
Edit distance from "Brazil"

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 "Brazil"?
"Brazil" is spelled B-R-A-Z-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /bɹəˈzɪl/.
What does "Brazil" mean?
As a proper noun, "Brazil" means: A large Portuguese-speaking country in South America. Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil. Capital: Brasília.
What words are commonly confused with "Brazil"?
"Brazil" is commonly confused with "bail", "brain", "basil". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Brazil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Brazil" is /bɹəˈzɪl/. 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 "Brazil"?
From Portuguese Brazil, older spelling of Brasil, from brasil (“brazilwood”), originally ‘red like an ember’, from brasa (“ember”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brasō (“gleed, crackling coal”), and -il (“-ile, -like, -y”) from Latin -īlis (“adject... 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.

Using “Brazil”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-R-A-Z-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bɹəˈzɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bail” - see the side-by-side comparison. Brazil vs bail
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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