funcionar

/fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/

//fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ// verb

The verdict

“funcionar” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #3,205 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,205
frequency rank, Portuguese
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - realizar uma determinada função ou trabalho que se espera ser realizado

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

funcionar vs funcionário
73% similar
funcionar vs funcional
89% similar

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

Key facts for funcionar
PropertyValue
Headwordfuncionar
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,205
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “funcionar” 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). funcionar 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 funcionar is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,205 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for funcionar, with forms such as "ffuncionar", "fnucionar", and "fucnionar". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "funcionário", "funcional", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is funcionar, spelled F-U-N-C-I-O-N-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    realizar uma determinada função ou trabalho que se espera ser realizado
  2. 2
    estar em atividade
  3. 3
    resultar em bom desempenho

Synonyms

funfar

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffuncionar,fnucionar,fucnionar,funccionar,funcinoar,funcioanr,funcionarr,funcionnar,funcionra,funcoinar,funiconar,funncionar,ufncionar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffuncionar1fnucionar2fucnionar2funccionar1funcinoar2funcioanr2funcionarr1funcionnar1
Edit distance from "funcionar"

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 "funcionar"?
"funcionar" is spelled F-U-N-C-I-O-N-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/.
What does "funcionar" mean?
As a verb, "funcionar" means: realizar uma determinada função ou trabalho que se espera ser realizado
What words are commonly confused with "funcionar"?
"funcionar" is commonly confused with "funcionário", "funcional". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "funcionar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "funcionar" is /fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "funcionar" come from?
"funcionar" 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 “funcionar”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is F-U-N-C-I-O-N-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “funcionário” - see the side-by-side comparison. funcionar vs funcionário
  • 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