neandertal

/ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial)

//ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial)/ adj

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

The verdict

“neandertal” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #52,317 among 881 “N” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,317
frequency rank, Portuguese
881
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - relativo ao Homo neanderthalensis, seu ambiente e modo de vida

Key facts for neandertal
PropertyValue
Headwordneandertal
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial)
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,317
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “neandertal” 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). neandertal lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

neandertal is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #52,317 among 881 “N” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial). Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for neandertal, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is neandertal, spelled N-E-A-N-D-E-R-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    relativo ao Homo neanderthalensis, seu ambiente e modo de vida
  2. 2
    que qualifica alguém sem modos, sem educação ou sem refino social

Synonyms

neandertalensedeseducadogrosseiroignoranteprimitivorudetroglodita

This word in other languages

Neanderthal(English)neandertal(Español)néandertalien(Français)

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 "neandertal"?
"neandertal" is spelled N-E-A-N-D-E-R-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial).
What does "neandertal" mean?
As an adjective, "neandertal" means: relativo ao Homo neanderthalensis, seu ambiente e modo de vida
How do you pronounce "neandertal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "neandertal" is /ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial). Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "neandertal" come from?
"neandertal" 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 “neandertal”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is N-E-A-N-D-E-R-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ne.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [ne.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], /ni.ɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [nɪ.ɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯], AFI: /njɐ̃.deʁˈtaw/ [njɐ̃.dehˈtaʊ̯] (coloquial) (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words

Other uncommon Portuguese words near this rank

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