fósforo

noun

The verdict

“fósforo” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #13,089 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,089
frequency rank, Portuguese
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - elemento químico de símbolo P, possui o número atômico 15 e massa atômica relativa 30,973; não é encontrado livre na natureza; é empregado na fabricação de fertilizantes, produtos de confeitarias, ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fósforo vs fosfato
57% similar

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

Key facts for fósforo
PropertyValue
Headwordfósforo
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#13,089
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fósforo” 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). fósforo 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 fósforo is 7 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #13,089 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for fósforo, with forms such as "ffósforo", "fsóforo", and "fófsoro". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "fosfato", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is fósforo, spelled F-Ó-S-F-O-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    elemento químico de símbolo P, possui o número atômico 15 e massa atômica relativa 30,973; não é encontrado livre na natureza; é empregado na fabricação de fertilizantes, produtos de confeitarias, bombas incendiárias e produtos pirotécnicos
  2. 2
    palito ou pavio que possui numa das extremidades um composto inflamável quando atritado

Synonyms

phosphoro

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffósforo,fsóforo,fófsoro,fósfforo,fósfoor,fósforro,fósfroo,fósofro,fóssforo,ófsforo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffósforo1fsóforo2fófsoro2fósfforo1fósfoor2fósforro1fósfroo2fósofro2
Edit distance from "fósforo"

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 "fósforo"?
"fósforo" is spelled F-Ó-S-F-O-R-O.
What does "fósforo" mean?
As a noun, "fósforo" means: elemento químico de símbolo P, possui o número atômico 15 e massa atômica relativa 30,973; não é encontrado livre na natureza; é empregado na fabricação de fertilizantes, produtos de confeitarias, ...
What words are commonly confused with "fósforo"?
"fósforo" is commonly confused with "fosfato". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "fósforo" come from?
"fósforo" 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 “fósforo”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is F-Ó-S-F-O-R-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “fosfato” - see the side-by-side comparison. fósforo vs fosfato
  • 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