por lo menos

[poɾ lo ˈmenos]

/[poɾ lo ˈmenos]/ phrase

The verdict

“por lo menos” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Denota un mínimo de expectativa acerca de algo en específico, lo mínimo que se espera de algo.

Key facts for por lo menos
PropertyValue
Headwordpor lo menos
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[poɾ lo ˈmenos]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “por lo menos” sits in Spanish frequency

por lo menos falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for por lo menos is 12 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [poɾ lo ˈmenos]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Denota un mínimo de expectativa acerca de algo en específico, lo mínimo que se espera de algo.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for por lo menos, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is por lo menos, spelled P-O-R- -L-O- -M-E-N-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Denota un mínimo de expectativa acerca de algo en específico, lo mínimo que se espera de algo.

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 "por lo menos"?
"por lo menos" is spelled P-O-R- -L-O- -M-E-N-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is [poɾ lo ˈmenos].
What does "por lo menos" mean?
As a phrase, "por lo menos" means: Denota un mínimo de expectativa acerca de algo en específico, lo mínimo que se espera de algo.
How do you pronounce "por lo menos"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "por lo menos" is [poɾ lo ˈmenos]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "por lo menos" come from?
"por lo menos" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “por lo menos”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-O-R- -L-O- -M-E-N-O-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [poɾ lo ˈmenos] (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
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