sensual

[sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs]

/[sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs]/ adj

The verdict

“sensual” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #8,818 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,818
frequency rank, Portuguese
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - relativo a, inclinado a ou preocupado com a gratificação dos sentidos e dos apetites; carnal

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sensual vs sexual
71% similar
sensual vs Senegal
57% similar

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

Key facts for sensual
PropertyValue
Headwordsensual
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs]
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,818
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sensual” 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). sensual 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 sensual is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs]. Corpus data places it at rank #8,818 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for sensual, with forms such as "esnsual", "sennsual", and "sensaul". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sexual", "Senegal", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Portuguese form is sensual, spelled S-E-N-S-U-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    relativo a, inclinado a ou preocupado com a gratificação dos sentidos e dos apetites; carnal
  2. 2
    que não tem muitas restrições morais; incasto
  3. 3
    aquilo que excita os sentidos ou os apetites

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esnsual,sennsual,sensaul,senssual,sensuall,sensula,senusal,sesnual,snesual,ssensual

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sensual - 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.

esnsual2sennsual1sensaul2senssual1sensuall1sensula2senusal2sesnual2
Edit distance from "sensual"

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 "sensual"?
"sensual" is spelled S-E-N-S-U-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs].
What does "sensual" mean?
As an adjective, "sensual" means: relativo a, inclinado a ou preocupado com a gratificação dos sentidos e dos apetites; carnal
What words are commonly confused with "sensual"?
"sensual" is commonly confused with "sexual", "Senegal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sensual"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sensual" is [sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sensual" come from?
"sensual" 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 “sensual”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is S-E-N-S-U-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [sẽ(ŋ).su.aw] plural: [sẽ(ŋ).su.ajs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sexual” - see the side-by-side comparison. sensual vs sexual
  • 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