pai

noun

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

The verdict

“pai” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #240) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#240
frequency rank, Portuguese
1,578
“P” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - homem que tem filhos, naturais ou adotivos

Corpus desk

Index PT-pai · pai · Portuguese

pai · rank #240 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #240
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,578
  • PHOTO-FINISH quase

Nearest frequency peer: quase (+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 “pai”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “pai” 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 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pai vs pé
33% similar
pai vs PT
0% similar
pai vs pó
33% similar

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

Key facts for pai
PropertyValue
Headwordpai
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters3
Frequency rank#240
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pai” sits in Portuguese frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).pai lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for pai is neighbouring look-alikes ("pé", "PT", …), not just typos; it is anoun. Frequency #240 among 1,578 “P” headwords. 6 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Zero misspellings are on record for pai in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pé", "PT", "pó", 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is pai, spelled P-A-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    homem que tem filhos, naturais ou adotivos
  2. 2
    macho que gerou prole; genitor, progenitor
  3. 3
    fundador, pessoa que iniciou algo
  4. 4
    tratamento afetuoso ou respeitoso que se dá aos idosos em alguns dialetos
  5. 5
    líder de um terreiro
  6. 6
    a causa ou origem

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. pai José / pai João
  2. O ódio é o pai da guerra.

Synonyms

paizinhopaizitogenitorpapaipainhoVelhopapá

This word in other languages

father(English)padre(Español)père(Français)Vater(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 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pai"?
"pai" is spelled P-A-I.
What does "pai" mean?
As a noun, "pai" means: homem que tem filhos, naturais ou adotivos
What words are commonly confused with "pai"?
"pai" is commonly confused with "pé", "PT", "pó". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "pai" come from?
"pai" 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.

Similar Portuguese words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

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

num#234fim#227vão#253for#220

What to do next

You've looked up "pai". Here's where to go from here.

  • "pai" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "pé". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #240 among Portuguese headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more Portuguese words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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