picão

singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/

/singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos// adj

The verdict

“picão” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #73,456 among 3,113 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,456
frequency rank, Portuguese
3,113
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - a falar de alimentos, que pica na boca

Key facts for picão
PropertyValue
Headwordpicão
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPAsingular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/
Letters5
Frequency rank#73,456
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “picão” 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). picão 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

picão is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #73,456 among 3,113 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for picão in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, 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 picão, spelled P-I-C-Ã-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    a falar de alimentos, que pica na boca
  2. 2
    que tem sabor ácido
  3. 3
    que tem a mandíbula ou beiço inferior proeminente
  4. 4
    a falar de uma pessoa que costuma fazer troça, que costuma picar, provocar, irritar

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 "picão"?
"picão" is spelled P-I-C-Ã-O. The IPA pronunciation is singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/.
What does "picão" mean?
As an adjective, "picão" means: a falar de alimentos, que pica na boca
How do you pronounce "picão"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "picão" is singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "picão" come from?
"picão" 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 “picão”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is P-I-C-Ã-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as singular: /pi.'koŋ/; plural: /pi.'kois/, /pi.'koŋs/ ou /pi.'kos/ (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