an

Name: an, Portuguese Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/an/

//an// adv

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“an” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #2,817 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adverb.

#2,817
frequency rank, Portuguese: 2
letters: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ligado, aceso:

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

an vs As

0% similar

an vs ao

50% similar

an vs ar

50% similar

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

Key facts for an
Property	Value
Headword	an
Language	Portuguese
Part of speech	Adverb
IPA	/an/
Letters	2
Frequency rank	#2,817
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “an” sits in Portuguese 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). an lands here:

#2,817

#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 Portuguese entry for an is 2 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /an/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,817 in overall Portuguese 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.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for an, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "As", "ao", "ar", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Portuguese form is an, spelled A-N.

Definition

1
ligado, aceso:
2
em diante:

Antonyms

aus

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "an"?

"an" is spelled A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /an/.

What does "an" mean?

As an adverb, "an" means: ligado, aceso:

What words are commonly confused with "an"?

"an" is commonly confused with "As", "ao", "ar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "an"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "an" is /an/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "an" come from?

"an" is a Portuguese 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 “an”

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

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