falho

/ˈfa.ʎu/

//ˈfa.ʎu// adj

The verdict

“falho” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #23,663 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.

#23,663
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - que tem falha

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

falho vs flo
60% similar
falho vs fato
60% similar
falho vs falo
80% similar

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

Key facts for falho
PropertyValue
Headwordfalho
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfa.ʎu/
Letters5
Frequency rank#23,663
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “falho” 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). falho 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 falho is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfa.ʎu/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,663 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for falho, with forms such as "aflho", "fahlo", and "falhho". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "flo", "fato", "falo", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, 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 falho, spelled F-A-L-H-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    que tem falha
  2. 2
    que não tem o peso devido
  3. 3
    fracassado

Antonyms

exitoso

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aflho,fahlo,falhho,fallho,faloh,ffalho,flaho

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aflho2fahlo2falhho1fallho1faloh2ffalho1flaho2
Edit distance from "falho"

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 "falho"?
"falho" is spelled F-A-L-H-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfa.ʎu/.
What does "falho" mean?
As an adjective, "falho" means: que tem falha
What words are commonly confused with "falho"?
"falho" is commonly confused with "flo", "fato", "falo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "falho"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "falho" is /ˈfa.ʎu/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "falho" come from?
"falho" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “falho”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is F-A-L-H-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfa.ʎu/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “flo” - see the side-by-side comparison. falho vs flo
  • 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