ler

/ˈleɾ/

//ˈleɾ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“ler” is in the everyday core of Portuguese, ranked #648 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a verb.

#648
frequency rank, Portuguese
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - interpretar o que está escrito

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ler vs ls
33% similar
ler vs ló
33% similar
ler vs lhe
33% similar

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

Key facts for ler
PropertyValue
Headwordler
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈleɾ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#648
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ler” 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). ler 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 ler is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈleɾ/. Corpus data places it at rank #648 in overall Portuguese word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for ler in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ls", "ló", "lhe", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Portuguese form is ler, spelled L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    interpretar o que está escrito
  2. 2
    compreender
  3. 3
    dizer em voz alta o que está escrito
  4. 4
    ter conhecimento de uma língua para saber o que está escrito
  5. 5
    prever (o futuro, por exemplo)
  6. 6
    acessar um arquivo e obter dados dentro dele

This word in other languages

read(English)leer(Español)lire(Français)lesen(Deutsch)

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 "ler"?
"ler" is spelled L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɾ/.
What does "ler" mean?
As a verb, "ler" means: interpretar o que está escrito
What words are commonly confused with "ler"?
"ler" is commonly confused with "ls", "ló", "lhe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ler" is /ˈleɾ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ler" come from?
"ler" 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 “ler”

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

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