cavalo

/kɐ.ˈva.lu/

//kɐ.ˈva.lu// noun

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

The verdict

“cavalo” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #2,994 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,994
frequency rank, Portuguese
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - animal quadrúpede da espécie Equus caballus, utilizado pelo homem para esporte, transporte e tração de arados

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cavalo vs cavar
67% similar
cavalo vs calo
67% similar
cavalo vs canal
67% similar

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

Key facts for cavalo
PropertyValue
Headwordcavalo
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɐ.ˈva.lu/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,994
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cavalo” 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). cavalo 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 cavalo is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɐ.ˈva.lu/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,994 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cavalo, with forms such as "acvalo", "caavlo", and "cavallo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cavar", "calo", "canal", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Portuguese form is cavalo, spelled C-A-V-A-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    animal quadrúpede da espécie Equus caballus, utilizado pelo homem para esporte, transporte e tração de arados
  2. 2
    instrumento utilizado em ginástica artística como plataforma de salto
  3. 3
    uma das peças do jogo de xadrez
  4. 4
    a sequência de números 41, 42, 43 e 44 no jogo do bicho
  5. 5
    na umbanda, o indivíduo que "recebe" os orixás
  6. 6
    nuvem carregada de chuva
  7. 7
    porta-enxerto, na enxertia a parte que é raiz e talo que recebe o cavaleiro
  8. 8
    na lareira, estrutura simples em forma de esquadro, que afixada na parede, gira sobre si e serve para mover os potes
  9. 9
    pessoa ignorante e brutamontes
  10. 10
    veículo que dá transporte a roubador na fuga após roubo

This word in other languages

horse(English)caballo(Español)cheval(Français)Pferd(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acvalo,caavlo,cavallo,cavaol,cavlao,cavvalo,ccavalo,cvaalo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cavalo - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acvalo2caavlo2cavallo1cavaol2cavlao2cavvalo1ccavalo1cvaalo2
Edit distance from "cavalo"

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 "cavalo"?
"cavalo" is spelled C-A-V-A-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is /kɐ.ˈva.lu/.
What does "cavalo" mean?
As a noun, "cavalo" means: animal quadrúpede da espécie Equus caballus, utilizado pelo homem para esporte, transporte e tração de arados
What words are commonly confused with "cavalo"?
"cavalo" is commonly confused with "cavar", "calo", "canal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cavalo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavalo" is /kɐ.ˈva.lu/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cavalo" come from?
"cavalo" 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 “cavalo”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is C-A-V-A-L-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɐ.ˈva.lu/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cavar” - see the side-by-side comparison. cavalo vs cavar
  • 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