cu

/ˈku/

//ˈku// noun

The verdict

“cu” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #4,716 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,716
frequency rank, Portuguese
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - extremidade do intestino grosso; ânus

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cu vs cut
67% similar
cu vs cum
67% similar
cu vs cujo
50% similar

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

Key facts for cu
PropertyValue
Headwordcu
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈku/
Letters2
Frequency rank#4,716
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cu” 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). cu 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 cu is 2 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈku/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,716 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

cu doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cut", "cum", "cujo", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Portuguese form is cu, spelled C-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    extremidade do intestino grosso; ânus
  2. 2
    nádegas, rabo
  3. 3
    fundo da agulha de coser
  4. 4
    a parte inferior dum poleame, oposta à cabeça
  5. 5
    pessoa desagradável, chata

Synonyms

rosnelobriochecofrinhocopinhoediedirfundãofundorabicórabetarabiolarabiosquebozóbogaolho

This word in other languages

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 "cu"?
"cu" is spelled C-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈku/.
What does "cu" mean?
As a noun, "cu" means: extremidade do intestino grosso; ânus
What words are commonly confused with "cu"?
"cu" is commonly confused with "cut", "cum", "cujo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cu" is /ˈku/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cu" come from?
"cu" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “cu”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is C-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈku/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cut” - see the side-by-side comparison. cu vs cut
  • 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