mãe

/ˈmɐ̃j̃/

//ˈmɐ̃j̃// noun

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

The verdict

“mãe” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #170) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#170
frequency rank, Portuguese
1,087
“M” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - mulher que tem ou teve filhos, naturais ou adotivos

Corpus desk

Index PT-mae · mãe · Portuguese

mãe · rank #170 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #170
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,087
  • PHOTO-FINISH ficar

Nearest frequency peer: ficar (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “mãe”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “mãe” sits against the nearest ranked Portuguese headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mãe vs me
67% similar
mãe vs my
33% similar
mãe vs mi
33% similar

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

Key facts for mãe
PropertyValue
Headwordmãe
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɐ̃j̃/
Letters3
Frequency rank#170
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mãe” 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). mãe lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for mãe is neighbouring look-alikes ("me", "my", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ˈmɐ̃j̃/. Frequency #170 among 1,087 “M” headwords. 8 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

mãe doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "me", "my", "mi", 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 best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Portuguese form is mãe, spelled M-Ã-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    mulher que tem ou teve filhos, naturais ou adotivos
  2. 2
    fêmea que gerou prole; genitora, progenitora
  3. 3
    a origem, causa
  4. 4
    protetora, pessoa que cuida de outrem
  5. 5
    líder de um terreiro
  6. 6
    tratamento afetuoso ou respeitoso que se dá aos idosos em alguns dialetos
  7. 7
    fundadora, mulher que iniciou algo
  8. 8
    pessoa bondosa, carinhosa

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how mãe appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. mãe Zezé / mãe Joana
  2. Nise é a mãe do tratamento humanizado aos pacientes psiquiátricos.

Synonyms

mãezinhamãezitamãinhamamãe

This word in other languages

mother(English)madre(Español)mère(Français)Mutter(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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mãe"?
"mãe" is spelled M-Ã-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɐ̃j̃/.
What does "mãe" mean?
As a noun, "mãe" means: mulher que tem ou teve filhos, naturais ou adotivos
What words are commonly confused with "mãe"?
"mãe" is commonly confused with "me", "my", "mi". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mãe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mãe" is /ˈmɐ̃j̃/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mãe" come from?
"mãe" 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.

Similar Portuguese words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mãe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked Portuguese headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rio#173boa#165dar#161diz#156
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