sinalefa

/si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/

//si.naˈlɛ.fɐ// noun

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

The verdict

“sinalefa” is uncommon Portuguese (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - fenômeno da língua onde duas ou mais sílabas se fundem em uma só (por sinérese, crase ou elisão)

Key facts for sinalefa
PropertyValue
Headwordsinalefa
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sinalefa” sits in Portuguese frequency

sinalefa 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.

Rare enough to double-check

sinalefa is uncommon Portuguese outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sinalefa, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is sinalefa, spelled S-I-N-A-L-E-F-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    fenômeno da língua onde duas ou mais sílabas se fundem em uma só (por sinérese, crase ou elisão)
  2. 2
    eliminação da última vogal átona de uma palavra face outra vogal na palavra que vem a seguir
  3. 3
    nas artes gráficas, instrumento de ferro com que são feitas marcas douradas nas capas e nas lombadas dos livros, durante a encadernação
  4. 4
    em editoração, sinal gráfico ou de ortografia para marcação dos textos
  5. 5
    em editoração, sinal gráfico ou de ortografia para marcação dos textos
  6. 6
    em editoração, sinal gráfico ou de ortografia para marcação dos textos
  7. 7
    sinal (feito com os olhos, a cabeça, as mãos) para chamar a atenção de algo

Synonyms

fileteaceno

This word in other languages

synalepha(English)sinalefa(Español)synalèphe(Français)

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 "sinalefa"?
"sinalefa" is spelled S-I-N-A-L-E-F-A. The IPA pronunciation is /si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/.
What does "sinalefa" mean?
As a noun, "sinalefa" means: fenômeno da língua onde duas ou mais sílabas se fundem em uma só (por sinérese, crase ou elisão)
How do you pronounce "sinalefa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sinalefa" is /si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sinalefa" come from?
"sinalefa" 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 “sinalefa”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is S-I-N-A-L-E-F-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /si.naˈlɛ.fɐ/ (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
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