detector

noun

The verdict

“detector” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #16,998 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,998
frequency rank, Portuguese
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - aparelho ou instrumento que serve para detectar a presença de substâncias em um determinado ambiente

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

detector vs detento
75% similar
detector vs detentor
88% similar
detector vs detestar
75% similar

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

Key facts for detector
PropertyValue
Headworddetector
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,998
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “detector” 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). detector 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 detector is 8 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #16,998 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "aparelho ou instrumento que serve para detectar a presença de substâncias em um determinado ambiente".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for detector, with forms such as "ddetector", "deetctor", and "detcetor". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "detento", "detentor", "detestar", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is detector, spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    aparelho ou instrumento que serve para detectar a presença de substâncias em um determinado ambiente

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddetector,deetctor,detcetor,detecctor,detecotr,detectorr,detectro,detecttor,detetcor,dettector,dteector,edtector

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of detector - 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.

ddetector1deetctor2detcetor2detecctor1detecotr2detectorr1detectro2detecttor1
Edit distance from "detector"

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 "detector"?
"detector" is spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-O-R.
What does "detector" mean?
As a noun, "detector" means: aparelho ou instrumento que serve para detectar a presença de substâncias em um determinado ambiente
What words are commonly confused with "detector"?
"detector" is commonly confused with "detento", "detentor", "detestar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "detector" come from?
"detector" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “detector”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is D-E-T-E-C-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “detento” - see the side-by-side comparison. detector vs detento
  • 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