esfregar

/iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/

//iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“esfregar” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #15,571 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a verb.

#15,571
frequency rank, Portuguese
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sujeitar a superfície (de algo ou de uma pessoa) a pressão e fricção com o intuito de limpar, polir, massagear etc

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

esfregar vs estrear
75% similar
esfregar vs esfriar
75% similar
esfregar vs estragar
75% similar

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

Key facts for esfregar
PropertyValue
Headwordesfregar
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechVerb
IPA/iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,571
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “esfregar” 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). esfregar 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 esfregar is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,571 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for esfregar, with forms such as "efsregar", "esfergar", and "esffregar". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "estrear", "esfriar", "estragar", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Portuguese form is esfregar, spelled E-S-F-R-E-G-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    sujeitar a superfície (de algo ou de uma pessoa) a pressão e fricção com o intuito de limpar, polir, massagear etc
  2. 2
    mover algo para frente e para trás ou em movimento rotatório contra a superfície de algo
  3. 3
    espalhar ou aplicar algo com pressão e fricção em algo ou alguém
  4. 4
    movimentar (duas coisas) uma contra a outra
  5. 5
    roçar-se de maneira sexual

This word in other languages

rub(English)frotar(Español)frotter(Français)abreiben(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efsregar,esfergar,esffregar,esfreagr,esfregarr,esfreggar,esfregra,esfrgear,esfrregar,esrfegar,essfregar,sefregar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efsregar2esfergar2esffregar1esfreagr2esfregarr1esfreggar1esfregra2esfrgear2
Edit distance from "esfregar"

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 "esfregar"?
"esfregar" is spelled E-S-F-R-E-G-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/.
What does "esfregar" mean?
As a verb, "esfregar" means: sujeitar a superfície (de algo ou de uma pessoa) a pressão e fricção com o intuito de limpar, polir, massagear etc
What words are commonly confused with "esfregar"?
"esfregar" is commonly confused with "estrear", "esfriar", "estragar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "esfregar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "esfregar" is /iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "esfregar" come from?
"esfregar" 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 “esfregar”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is E-S-F-R-E-G-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /iʃ.fɾɨ.ˈɡaɾ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “estrear” - see the side-by-side comparison. esfregar vs estrear
  • 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