spiro

/ˈspiː.roː/

//ˈspiː.roː// verb

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

The verdict

“spiro” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #79,968 among 2,603 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,968
frequency rank, Portuguese
2,603
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - respirar, inspirar, expirar.

Key facts for spiro
PropertyValue
Headwordspiro
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈspiː.roː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#79,968
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spiro” 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). spiro lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

spiro is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #79,968 among 2,603 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈspiː.roː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for spiro, suggesting the orthography follows predictable Portuguese patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is spiro, spelled S-P-I-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    respirar, inspirar, expirar.
  2. 2
    (figurativamente) estar vivo.
  3. 3
    estar inspirado.
  4. 4
    aspirar a, desejar.

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 "spiro"?
"spiro" is spelled S-P-I-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspiː.roː/.
What does "spiro" mean?
As a verb, "spiro" means: respirar, inspirar, expirar.
How do you pronounce "spiro"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spiro" is /ˈspiː.roː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "spiro" come from?
"spiro" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “spiro”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is S-P-I-R-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspiː.roː/ (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

Other uncommon Portuguese words near this rank

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