distinção

noun

The verdict

“distinção” has 12 generated spelling variants in the Portuguese index at frequency #6,169. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,169
frequency rank, Portuguese
2,399
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - o fato de distinguir

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

distinção vs distinto
78% similar
distinção vs distorção
78% similar
distinção vs distração
78% similar

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

Key facts for distinção
PropertyValue
Headworddistinção
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,169
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “distinção” 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). distinção lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around distinção, anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,169 among 2,399 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for distinção, with forms such as "ddistinção", "disitnção", and "disstinção". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "distinto", "distorção", "distração", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is distinção, spelled D-I-S-T-I-N-Ç-Ã-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    o fato de distinguir
  2. 2
    o reconhecimento das diferenças entre objetos ou ideias
  3. 3
    favoritismo; diferenciação especial entre coisas ou pessoas
  4. 4
    uma qualidade que diferencia ou distingue
  5. 5
    o fato de ser tratado com honra, atenção ou favor especial
  6. 6
    aparência elegante e reservada

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddistinção,disitnção,disstinção,distinnção,distinãço,distinçoã,distiçnão,distnição,disttinção,ditsinção,dsitinção,idstinção

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddistinção1disitnção2disstinção1distinnção1distinãço2distinçoã2distiçnão2distnição2
Edit distance from "distinção"

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 "distinção"?
"distinção" is spelled D-I-S-T-I-N-Ç-Ã-O.
What does "distinção" mean?
As a noun, "distinção" means: o fato de distinguir
What words are commonly confused with "distinção"?
"distinção" is commonly confused with "distinto", "distorção", "distração". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "distinção" come from?
"distinção" 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 “distinção”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is D-I-S-T-I-N-Ç-Ã-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “distinto” - see the side-by-side comparison. distinção vs distinto
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words

Same frequency band

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