em vez de

/ĩ vez ˈdi/

//ĩ vez ˈdi// phrase

The verdict

“em vez de” is outside the top-ranked Portuguese vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - em substituição a; em lugar de; no lugar de

Key facts for em vez de
PropertyValue
Headwordem vez de
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechPhrase
IPA/ĩ vez ˈdi/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “em vez de” sits in Portuguese frequency

em vez de falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Portuguese words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for em vez de is 9 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ĩ vez ˈdi/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for em vez de in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, 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 em vez de, spelled E-M- -V-E-Z- -D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    em substituição a; em lugar de; no lugar de
  2. 2
    ao contrário de; ao invés de

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "em vez de"?
"em vez de" is spelled E-M- -V-E-Z- -D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ĩ vez ˈdi/.
What does "em vez de" mean?
As a phrase, "em vez de" means: em substituição a; em lugar de; no lugar de
How do you pronounce "em vez de"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "em vez de" is /ĩ vez ˈdi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "em vez de" come from?
"em vez de" 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 “em vez de”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is E-M- -V-E-Z- -D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ĩ vez ˈdi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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