larva

/'lar.va/

//'lar.va// noun

The verdict

“larva” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #35,214 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,214
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - embrião que se torna livre abandonando normalmente os invólucros ovulares ou o organismo progenitor

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

larva vs leva
60% similar
larva vs lava
80% similar
larva vs lata
60% similar

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

Key facts for larva
PropertyValue
Headwordlarva
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/'lar.va/
Letters5
Frequency rank#35,214
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “larva” 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). larva 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 larva is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /'lar.va/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,214 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "embrião que se torna livre abandonando normalmente os invólucros ovulares ou o organismo progenitor".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for larva, with forms such as "alrva", "larav", and "larrva". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "leva", "lava", "lata", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, 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 larva, spelled L-A-R-V-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    embrião que se torna livre abandonando normalmente os invólucros ovulares ou o organismo progenitor

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alrva,larav,larrva,larvva,llarva,lrava

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alrva2larav2larrva1larvva1llarva1lrava2
Edit distance from "larva"

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 "larva"?
"larva" is spelled L-A-R-V-A. The IPA pronunciation is /'lar.va/.
What does "larva" mean?
As a noun, "larva" means: embrião que se torna livre abandonando normalmente os invólucros ovulares ou o organismo progenitor
What words are commonly confused with "larva"?
"larva" is commonly confused with "leva", "lava", "lata". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "larva"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "larva" is /'lar.va/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "larva" come from?
"larva" 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 “larva”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is L-A-R-V-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /'lar.va/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “leva” - see the side-by-side comparison. larva vs leva
  • 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