tai

/ˈtaj/

//ˈtaj// adj

The verdict

“tai” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #15,216 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.

#15,216
frequency rank, Portuguese
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - que pertence ao ramo das línguas tibeto-birmânicas que compreende o tai (tailandês) e o laociano

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tai vs te
33% similar
tai vs to
33% similar
tai vs tu
33% similar

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

Key facts for tai
PropertyValue
Headwordtai
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtaj/
Letters3
Frequency rank#15,216
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tai” 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). tai 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 tai is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtaj/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,216 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

tai has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "te", "to", "tu", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, 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 tai, spelled T-A-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    que pertence ao ramo das línguas tibeto-birmânicas que compreende o tai (tailandês) e o laociano
  2. 2
    relativo à Tailândia

Synonyms

thai

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 "tai"?
"tai" is spelled T-A-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtaj/.
What does "tai" mean?
As an adjective, "tai" means: que pertence ao ramo das línguas tibeto-birmânicas que compreende o tai (tailandês) e o laociano
What words are commonly confused with "tai"?
"tai" is commonly confused with "te", "to", "tu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tai"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tai" is /ˈtaj/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tai" come from?
"tai" 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 “tai”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is T-A-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtaj/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “te” - see the side-by-side comparison. tai vs te
  • 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