nave

/ˈna.vɨ/

//ˈna.vɨ// noun

The verdict

“nave” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #4,499 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,499
frequency rank, Portuguese
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - parte do templo destinado aos fiéis

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nave vs né
25% similar
nave vs nay
50% similar
nave vs novo
50% similar

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

Key facts for nave
PropertyValue
Headwordnave
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈna.vɨ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,499
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nave” 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). nave 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 nave is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈna.vɨ/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,499 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for nave, with forms such as "anve", "naev", and "navve". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "né", "nay", "novo", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Portuguese form is nave, spelled N-A-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    parte do templo destinado aos fiéis
  2. 2
    espaço longitudinal entre duas fileiras de colunas
  3. 3
    navio; nau
  4. 4
    espaçonave

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anve,naev,navve,nnave,nvae

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anve2naev2navve1nnave1nvae2
Edit distance from "nave"

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 "nave"?
"nave" is spelled N-A-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈna.vɨ/.
What does "nave" mean?
As a noun, "nave" means: parte do templo destinado aos fiéis
What words are commonly confused with "nave"?
"nave" is commonly confused with "né", "nay", "novo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nave"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nave" is /ˈna.vɨ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nave" come from?
"nave" 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 “nave”

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

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