por que

phrase

The verdict

“por que” is outside the top-ranked Portuguese vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - introduz orações interrogativas; por que razão, por que motivo

Key facts for por que
PropertyValue
Headwordpor que
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechPhrase
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “por que” sits in Portuguese frequency

por que falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Portuguese words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for por que is 7 letters long, classified as a phrase. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for por que in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Portuguese form is por que, spelled P-O-R- -Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    introduz orações interrogativas; por que razão, por que motivo
  2. 2
    introduz orações subordinadas finais; para que, a fim de que, por que tal

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 "por que"?
"por que" is spelled P-O-R- -Q-U-E.
What does "por que" mean?
As a phrase, "por que" means: introduz orações interrogativas; por que razão, por que motivo
What language does "por que" come from?
"por que" 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 “por que”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is P-O-R- -Q-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words
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