matéria

/mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/

//mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ// noun

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

The verdict

“matéria” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #1,248 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,248
frequency rank, Portuguese
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - qualquer substância, sólida, líquida ou gasosa, que ocupa lugar no espaço

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

matéria vs matriz
71% similar
matéria vs matrix
71% similar
matéria vs miséria
71% similar

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

Key facts for matéria
PropertyValue
Headwordmatéria
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,248
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “matéria” 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). matéria 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 matéria is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,248 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for matéria, with forms such as "amtéria", "matréia", and "mattéria". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "matriz", "matrix", "miséria", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Portuguese form is matéria, spelled M-A-T-É-R-I-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    qualquer substância, sólida, líquida ou gasosa, que ocupa lugar no espaço
  2. 2
    agregado de partículas que possuem massa
  3. 3
    substância corpórea de determinada natureza
  4. 4
    entre os filósofos pré-socráticos, elemento primordial ou substância original de que são feitos todos os seres da natureza [Foi frequentemente identificada à tétrade ar, terra, fogo e água, ou a apenas um destes princípios.]
  5. 5
    no platonismo e no aristotelismo, princípio informe, indefinido e indeterminado, subjacente e comum a todos os objetos da natureza, que adquire alguma forma universal em decorrência de sua natureza passiva e receptiva
  6. 6
    no cartesianismo, substância que ocupa uma extensão - comprimento, largura e profundidade - no espaço, adquirindo portanto uma determinação geométrica e quantitativa, suscetível de medida e de enunciação matemática
  7. 7
    substância sólida de que se faz um produto ou uma obra
  8. 8
    substância que pode receber determinada forma ou na qual atua algum agente
  9. 9
    qualquer substância expelida pelo organismo
  10. 10
    qualquer substância expelida pelo organismo
  11. 11
    aquilo de que se trata, expresso por escrito ou oralmente; teor, assunto
  12. 12
    o que constitui ou poderá constituir objeto de conhecimento, de uma atividade; material
  13. 13
    qualquer texto jornalístico
  14. 14
    aquilo que gera efeitos, consequências; causa
  15. 15
    conteúdo específico daquilo que é o objeto de um ensino
  16. 16
    conhecimento acumulado; saber
  17. 17
    apego às coisas terrenas; materialidade
  18. 18
    dotado de corpo, de carne; corporalidade, carnalidade

This word in other languages

matter(English)matière(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amtéria,matréia,mattéria,matéira,matérai,matérria,maétria,mmatéria,mtaéria

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of matéria - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

amtéria2matréia2mattéria1matéira2matérai2matérria1maétria2mmatéria1
Edit distance from "matéria"

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 "matéria"?
"matéria" is spelled M-A-T-É-R-I-A. The IPA pronunciation is /mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/.
What does "matéria" mean?
As a noun, "matéria" means: qualquer substância, sólida, líquida ou gasosa, que ocupa lugar no espaço
What words are commonly confused with "matéria"?
"matéria" is commonly confused with "matriz", "matrix", "miséria". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "matéria"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "matéria" is /mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "matéria" come from?
"matéria" 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 “matéria”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is M-A-T-É-R-I-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɐ.ˈtɛ.ɾjɐ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “matriz” - see the side-by-side comparison. matéria vs matriz
  • 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