pontífice

/põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/

//põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ// noun

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

The verdict

“pontífice” has 13 generated spelling variants in the Portuguese index at frequency #22,755. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,755
frequency rank, Portuguese
3,113
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - dignitário religioso que tem jurisdição e autoridade

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pontífice vs pontifício
60% similar

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

Key facts for pontífice
PropertyValue
Headwordpontífice
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,755
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pontífice” 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). pontífice lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around pontífice (IPA /põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,755 among 3,113 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for pontífice, with forms such as "opntífice", "pnotífice", and "ponntífice". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pontifício", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Portuguese form is pontífice, spelled P-O-N-T-Í-F-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    dignitário religioso que tem jurisdição e autoridade
  2. 2
    o chefe supremo da Igreja católica; o papa
  3. 3
    sacerdote da religião romana
  4. 4
    ministro que se encarrega do culto de uma religião
  5. 5
    chefe ou líder de um sistema ou de uma escola
  6. 6
    pessoa que exerce autoridade num domínio qualquer
  7. 7
    ponta de cigarro

This word in other languages

pontiff(English)pontífice(Español)pontife(Français)Pontifex(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opntífice
  • pnotífice
  • ponntífice
  • pontfíice
  • ponttífice
  • pontífcie
  • pontíffice
  • pontíficce
  • pontífiec
  • pontíifce
  • ponítfice
  • potnífice
  • ppontífice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opntífice2pnotífice2ponntífice1pontfíice2ponttífice1pontífcie2pontíffice1pontíficce1
Edit distance from "pontífice"

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 "pontífice"?
"pontífice" is spelled P-O-N-T-Í-F-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/.
What does "pontífice" mean?
As a noun, "pontífice" means: dignitário religioso que tem jurisdição e autoridade
What words are commonly confused with "pontífice"?
"pontífice" is commonly confused with "pontifício". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pontífice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pontífice" is /põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pontífice" come from?
"pontífice" 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.

Using “pontífice”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is P-O-N-T-Í-F-I-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /põ.ˈti.fi.sɨ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pontifício” - see the side-by-side comparison. pontífice vs pontifício
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words

Same frequency band

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