ato

/ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/

//ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ// noun

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

The verdict

“ato” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #1,326 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,326
frequency rank, Portuguese
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - processo de fazer algo; manifestação real e tangível

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ato vs av
33% similar
ato vs avô
33% similar
ato vs ave
33% similar

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

Key facts for ato
PropertyValue
Headwordato
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,326
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ato” 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). ato 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 Portuguese entry for ato is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,326 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for ato, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "av", "avô", "ave", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Portuguese form is ato, spelled A-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    processo de fazer algo; manifestação real e tangível
  2. 2
    algo que foi feito
  3. 3
    seção de uma peça teatral
  4. 4
    algo produzido por um órgão legislativo

Synonyms

Formulário Ortográfico de 1943actoaçãoaçãoeditoestatutolei

This word in other languages

act(English)acto(Español)Handlung(Deutsch)

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 "ato"?
"ato" is spelled A-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/.
What does "ato" mean?
As a noun, "ato" means: processo de fazer algo; manifestação real e tangível
What words are commonly confused with "ato"?
"ato" is commonly confused with "av", "avô", "ave". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ato"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ato" is /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ato" come from?
"ato" 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 “ato”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is A-T-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “av” - see the side-by-side comparison. ato vs av
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list