samba

/ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/

//ˈsɐ̃.bɐ// noun

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

The verdict

“samba” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #2,598 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,598
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - dança de roda semelhante ao batuque, com dançarinos solistas e eventual presença da umbigada, difundida em todo o Brasil com variantes coreográficas e de acompanhamento instrumental

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

samba vs soma
60% similar
samba vs suma
60% similar
samba vs same
60% similar

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

Key facts for samba
PropertyValue
Headwordsamba
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,598
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “samba” 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). samba lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for samba is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,598 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for samba, with forms such as "asmba", "sabma", and "samab". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "soma", "suma", "same", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Portuguese form is samba, spelled S-A-M-B-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    dança de roda semelhante ao batuque, com dançarinos solistas e eventual presença da umbigada, difundida em todo o Brasil com variantes coreográficas e de acompanhamento instrumental
  2. 2
    qualquer baile popular, urbano ou rural, onde geralmente predomina o samba como música; arrasta-pé
  3. 3
    gênero de canção popular de ritmo geralmente 2/4 e andamento variado, surgido a partir do início do século XX
  4. 4
    variedade de xiba (baile rural sapateado)
  5. 5
    aguardente de cana; tipo de cachaça

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asmba,sabma,samab,sambba,sammba,smaba,ssamba

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of samba - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

asmba2sabma2samab2sambba1sammba1smaba2ssamba1
Edit distance from "samba"

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 "samba"?
"samba" is spelled S-A-M-B-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/.
What does "samba" mean?
As a noun, "samba" means: dança de roda semelhante ao batuque, com dançarinos solistas e eventual presença da umbigada, difundida em todo o Brasil com variantes coreográficas e de acompanhamento instrumental
What words are commonly confused with "samba"?
"samba" is commonly confused with "soma", "suma", "same". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "samba"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "samba" is /ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "samba" come from?
"samba" 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 “samba”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is S-A-M-B-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɐ̃.bɐ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “soma” - see the side-by-side comparison. samba vs soma
  • 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