só

/ˈsɔ/

//ˈsɔ// adj

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

The verdict

“só” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #50) as an adjective. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#50
frequency rank, Portuguese
1,185
“S” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - solitário, sem companhia, sem círculo social

Corpus desk

Index PT-so · só · Portuguese

só · rank #50 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #50
  • LEN-SHORT 2 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,185
  • PHOTO-FINISH vai

Nearest frequency peer: vai (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “só”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “só” sits against the nearest ranked Portuguese headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

só vs su
50% similar
só vs SW
0% similar
só vs sua
33% similar

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

Key facts for só
PropertyValue
Headwordsó
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɔ/
Letters2
Frequency rank#50
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “só” sits in Portuguese frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).só lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for só is neighbouring look-alikes ("su", "SW", …), not just typos; it is anadjective pronounced /ˈsɔ/. Frequency #50 among 1,185 “S” headwords. 4 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for só, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "su", "SW", "sua", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is só, spelled S-Ó.

Definition

  1. 1
    solitário, sem companhia, sem círculo social
  2. 2
    isolado, único
  3. 3
    sem parceiro, solteiro
  4. 4
    pleno e demasiado

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how só appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Foi ficando um homem só entre os colegas.
  2. Era uma casa só naquele monte.

This word in other languages

only(English)solo(Español)seul(Français)einzig(Deutsch)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "só"?
"só" is spelled S-Ó. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɔ/.
What does "só" mean?
As an adjective, "só" means: solitário, sem companhia, sem círculo social
What words are commonly confused with "só"?
"só" is commonly confused with "su", "SW", "sua". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "só"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "só" is /ˈsɔ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "só" come from?
"só" 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.

What to do next

You've looked up "só". Here's where to go from here.

  • "só" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "su". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #50 among Portuguese headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more Portuguese words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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