spite

/spaɪt/

//spaɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“spite” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #96,237 among 2,603 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#96,237
frequency rank, Portuguese
2,603
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - despeito; desprezo; maldade; rancor

Key facts for spite
PropertyValue
Headwordspite
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/spaɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#96,237
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spite” 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). spite 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

spite is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #96,237 among 2,603 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /spaɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "despeito; desprezo; maldade; rancor".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for spite, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is spite, spelled S-P-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    despeito; desprezo; maldade; rancor

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 "spite"?
"spite" is spelled S-P-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /spaɪt/.
What does "spite" mean?
As a noun, "spite" means: despeito; desprezo; maldade; rancor
How do you pronounce "spite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spite" is /spaɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "spite" come from?
"spite" 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 “spite”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is S-P-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /spaɪt/ (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