gamba

/ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/

//ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ// noun

The verdict

“gamba” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #43,444 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,444
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - antiga viola parecida com o violoncelo

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gamba vs goma
60% similar
gamba vs gema
60% similar
gamba vs grama
60% similar

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

Key facts for gamba
PropertyValue
Headwordgamba
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#43,444
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gamba” 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). gamba 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 gamba is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,444 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 gamba, with forms such as "agmba", "gabma", and "gamab". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "goma", "gema", "grama", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, 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 gamba, spelled G-A-M-B-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    antiga viola parecida com o violoncelo
  2. 2
    crustáceo maior que o camarão e semelhante a ele
  3. 3
    mulher velha e feia

Synonyms

viola de gamba

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agmba,gabma,gamab,gambba,gammba,ggamba,gmaba

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gamba - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

agmba2gabma2gamab2gambba1gammba1ggamba1gmaba2
Edit distance from "gamba"

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 "gamba"?
"gamba" is spelled G-A-M-B-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/.
What does "gamba" mean?
As a noun, "gamba" means: antiga viola parecida com o violoncelo
What words are commonly confused with "gamba"?
"gamba" is commonly confused with "goma", "gema", "grama". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gamba"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gamba" is /ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gamba" come from?
"gamba" 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 “gamba”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is G-A-M-B-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɐ̃.bɐ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “goma” - see the side-by-side comparison. gamba vs goma
  • 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