imbecil
/ĩ.beˈsiw/ [ĩ.beˈsiʊ̯]
The verdict
“imbecil” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #9,696 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #9,696
- frequency rank, Portuguese
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - diz-se da pessoa que diz ou que faz imbecilidades
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | imbecil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ĩ.beˈsiw/ [ĩ.beˈsiʊ̯] |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #9,696 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “imbecil” sits in Portuguese frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The Portuguese entry for imbecil is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ĩ.beˈsiw/ [ĩ.beˈsiʊ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,696 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for imbecil, with forms such as "ibmecil", "imbbecil", and "imbceil". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Portuguese form is imbecil, spelled I-M-B-E-C-I-L.
Definition
- 1diz-se da pessoa que diz ou que faz imbecilidades
- 2diz-se da pessoa de caráter ingênuo
- 3aquele que demonstra covardia, pusilanimidade
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ibmecil,imbbecil,imbceil,imbeccil,imbecill,imbecli,imbeicl,imebcil,immbecil,mibecil
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imbecil - 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.
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 "imbecil"?
What does "imbecil" mean?
What are common misspellings of "imbecil"?
How do you pronounce "imbecil"?
What language does "imbecil" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “imbecil”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct Portuguese spelling is I-M-B-E-C-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ĩ.beˈsiw/ [ĩ.beˈsiʊ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.