em vez de

/ĩ vez ˈdi/

//ĩ vez ˈdi// phrase

The verdict

“em vez de” is uncommon Portuguese (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - em substituição a; em lugar de; no lugar de

Corpus desk

Index PT-em-vez-de · em vez de · Portuguese

em vez de · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

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)

Cauda longa: rank de “em vez de” em português

em vez deestá além das 100.000 formas mais frequentes do português, na cauda de léxico especializado ou pouco usado.

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

Rare enough to double-check

em vez de is uncommon Portuguese outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed /ĩ vez ˈdi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how em vez de appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. comprou um vestido em vez de uma saia
  2. em vez de rir, chorou

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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list