imbroglio

noun

The verdict

“imbroglio” is outside the top-ranked Portuguese vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - embrolho, imbrólio, imbróglio

Key facts for imbroglio
PropertyValue
Headwordimbroglio
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imbroglio” sits in Portuguese frequency

imbroglio falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Portuguese words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for imbroglio is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for imbroglio, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Portuguese form is imbroglio, spelled I-M-B-R-O-G-L-I-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    embrolho, imbrólio, imbróglio
  2. 2
    confusão
  3. 3
    engano
  4. 4
    ilusão
  5. 5
    obstáculo
  6. 6
    perturbação

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imbroglio"?
"imbroglio" is spelled I-M-B-R-O-G-L-I-O.
What does "imbroglio" mean?
As a noun, "imbroglio" means: embrolho, imbrólio, imbróglio
What language does "imbroglio" come from?
"imbroglio" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “imbroglio”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is I-M-B-R-O-G-L-I-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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