cunha

/ˈku.ɲɐ/

//ˈku.ɲɐ// noun

The verdict

“cunha” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #3,001 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,001
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - peça de metal ou madeira dura, em forma de prisma agudo em um dos lados, e que se insere no vértice de um corte para melhor fender algum material, bem como para calçar, nivelar, ajustar um peça qua...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cunha vs cura
60% similar
cunha vs custa
60% similar
cunha vs curva
60% similar

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

Key facts for cunha
PropertyValue
Headwordcunha
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈku.ɲɐ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,001
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cunha” 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). cunha 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 cunha is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈku.ɲɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,001 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for cunha, with forms such as "ccunha", "cnuha", and "cuhna". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cura", "custa", "curva", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is cunha, spelled C-U-N-H-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    peça de metal ou madeira dura, em forma de prisma agudo em um dos lados, e que se insere no vértice de um corte para melhor fender algum material, bem como para calçar, nivelar, ajustar um peça qualquer
  2. 2
    peça que mantém na posição correta a lâmina existente em ferramentas como a plaina, a garlopa
  3. 3
    figura, resultante de estilização da forma dessas peças
  4. 4
    o mesmo que cúneo ('lóbulo')
  5. 5
    (Diacronismo: obsoleto): cada um dos calços de madeira cortados obliquamente em um dos lados e empregado no ato de apertar na rama a forma (ô) tipográfica
  6. 6
    (Diacronismo: obsoleto): o mesmo que cunho ('cada uma das peças de metal')
  7. 7
    cada uma das peças biseladas que se movimentam na fundidora monotipo conforme as perfurações da bobina, dando a cada letra ou espaço a largura necessária [São chamadas, conforme o caso, cunha de justificação, de transferência dos espaços, de transferência dos tipos e normal.]
  8. 8
    área com formato de cunha, onde se verifica alta pressão barométrica
  9. 9
    deslocamento de tropas em forma de triângulo; cúneo
  10. 10
    cada uma das penas externas da cauda das aves de rapina
  11. 11
    (Derivação: por metáfora) (Regionalismo: Portugal) (Uso: informal): recomendação ou pedido de pessoa influente; empenho
  12. 12
    porção de um maciço de terra que fica acima da superfície interna em relação à qual poderá escorregar por ruptura ou cisalhamento do solo
  13. 13
    em estratégia, recurso pelo qual um exército logra introduzir componentes de sua tropa em território e/ou em meio a unidades particularmente vulneráveis do inimigo
  14. 14
    palavra meramente acessória para completar a medida de um verso ou tornar mais eufônico o seu ritmo

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccunha,cnuha,cuhna,cunah,cunhha,cunnha,ucnha

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cunha - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccunha1cnuha2cuhna2cunah2cunhha1cunnha1ucnha2
Edit distance from "cunha"

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 "cunha"?
"cunha" is spelled C-U-N-H-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈku.ɲɐ/.
What does "cunha" mean?
As a noun, "cunha" means: peça de metal ou madeira dura, em forma de prisma agudo em um dos lados, e que se insere no vértice de um corte para melhor fender algum material, bem como para calçar, nivelar, ajustar um peça qua...
What words are commonly confused with "cunha"?
"cunha" is commonly confused with "cura", "custa", "curva". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cunha"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cunha" is /ˈku.ɲɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cunha" come from?
"cunha" 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 “cunha”

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

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