maligno

/mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/

//mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu// adj

The verdict

“maligno” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #17,573 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.

#17,573
frequency rank, Portuguese
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - inclinado para o mal; maldoso, maléfico, mau

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

maligno vs magno
71% similar

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

Key facts for maligno
PropertyValue
Headwordmaligno
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,573
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “maligno” 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). maligno 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 maligno is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,573 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 maligno, with forms such as "amligno", "mailgno", and "malgino". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "magno", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

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 maligno, spelled M-A-L-I-G-N-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    inclinado para o mal; maldoso, maléfico, mau
  2. 2
    que tende a piorar (dito de tumor canceroso ou qualquer lesão ou enfermidade)

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amligno,mailgno,malgino,maliggno,malignno,maligon,malingo,malligno,mlaigno,mmaligno

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maligno - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

amligno2mailgno2malgino2maliggno1malignno1maligon2malingo2malligno1
Edit distance from "maligno"

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 "maligno"?
"maligno" is spelled M-A-L-I-G-N-O. The IPA pronunciation is /mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/.
What does "maligno" mean?
As an adjective, "maligno" means: inclinado para o mal; maldoso, maléfico, mau
What words are commonly confused with "maligno"?
"maligno" is commonly confused with "magno". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "maligno"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maligno" is /mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "maligno" come from?
"maligno" 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 “maligno”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is M-A-L-I-G-N-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɐ.ˈli.ɡnu/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “magno” - see the side-by-side comparison. maligno vs magno
  • 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