paleo-

/paleo/ [pa.le.o]

//paleo/ [pa.le.o]/ prefix

The verdict

“paleo-” is uncommon Portuguese (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prefix. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - prefixo para dar sentido de antiguidade às palavras (como em paleologia: estudo das línguas antigas)

Corpus desk

Index PT-paleo · paleo- · Portuguese

paleo- · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for paleo-
PropertyValue
Headwordpaleo-
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechPrefix
IPA/paleo/ [pa.le.o]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cauda longa: rank de “paleo-” em português

paleo-está além das 100.000 formas mais frequentes do português, na cauda de léxico especializado ou pouco usado.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

paleo- is uncommon Portuguese outside the top frequency list, classed as aprefix, transcribed /paleo/ [pa.le.o]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for paleo- in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is paleo-, spelled P-A-L-E-O--.

Definition

  1. 1
    prefixo para dar sentido de antiguidade às palavras (como em paleologia: estudo das línguas antigas)
  2. 2
    prefixo relacionado à paleontologia e seus ramos, divisões e campos de estudo
  3. 3
    prefixo usado para designar, de modo informal, seres basais ou táxons primitivos, ou ainda algo que se pretende antigo

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A paleodieta recomenda atividades físicas intensas alternadas com fases de ócio.
  2. Arqueólogos derrubam mito da dieta paleo.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "paleo-"?
"paleo-" is spelled P-A-L-E-O--. The IPA pronunciation is /paleo/ [pa.le.o].
What does "paleo-" mean?
As a prefix, "paleo-" means: prefixo para dar sentido de antiguidade às palavras (como em paleologia: estudo das línguas antigas)
How do you pronounce "paleo-"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paleo-" is /paleo/ [pa.le.o]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "paleo-" come from?
"paleo-" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list