backbone

/ˈbækˌboʊn/

//ˈbækˌboʊn// noun

The verdict

“backbone” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #51,989 among 840 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,989
frequency rank, Portuguese
840
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - espinha dorsal

Corpus desk

Index PT-backbone · backbone · Portuguese

backbone · rank #51,989 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,989
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 840
  • PHOTO-FINISH avicultura

Nearest frequency peer: avicultura (-4 rank slots)

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.

Ranks da cauda longa perto de “backbone”

Faixa escassa: as barras invertem o rank para o raro ler-se mais curto

corpus weight

What this shows Vista da cauda longa: onde “backbone” se situa face a ranks portugueses igualmente raros.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for backbone
PropertyValue
Headwordbackbone
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbækˌboʊn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#51,989
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cauda longa: rank de “backbone” em português

Da esquerda para a direita: o pouco que carrega a fala diária, depois a cauda longa quase invisível.backbonecai nesta cauda de raridade:

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

A escala é logarítmica (cada marca ≈ 10× mais rara). Vizinhos raros da mesma faixa: “avicultura” (#51,985), “autumn” (#51,984), “barn” (#51,994). Entre 840 lemas com “B”, “backbone” fica em #51,989. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

backbone is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #51,989 among 840 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbækˌboʊn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

backbone has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is backbone, spelled B-A-C-K-B-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    espinha dorsal
  2. 2
    ráquis
  3. 3
    raque
  4. 4
    qualquer estrutura ou infra-estrutura de sustentação
  5. 5
    coragem, força
  6. 6
    rede elétrica ou de fibra ótica que conjugada com equipamentos apropriados, especialmente computadores, permite o funcionamento de canais para transmissão de dados, imagem e voz

Synonyms

spine

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 "backbone"?
"backbone" is spelled B-A-C-K-B-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbækˌboʊn/.
What does "backbone" mean?
As a noun, "backbone" means: espinha dorsal
How do you pronounce "backbone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "backbone" is /ˈbækˌboʊn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "backbone" come from?
"backbone" 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.

Similar Portuguese words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked Portuguese headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list