tapa

noun

The verdict

“tapa” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #8,694 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,694
frequency rank, Portuguese
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - tampa da boca da peça

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tapa vs tua
50% similar
tapa vs tia
50% similar
tapa vs TEA
0% similar

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

Key facts for tapa
PropertyValue
Headwordtapa
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,694
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tapa” 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). tapa 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 tapa is 4 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #8,694 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for tapa, with forms such as "atpa", "taap", and "tappa". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tua", "tia", "TEA", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is tapa, spelled T-A-P-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    tampa da boca da peça
  2. 2
    bofetada
  3. 3
    argumento sem réplica
  4. 4
    ação de ser tornado melhor, ser melhorado ou o resultado que desta provém

Synonyms

melhorada

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atpa,taap,tappa,tpaa,ttapa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tapa - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

atpa2taap2tappa1tpaa2ttapa1
Edit distance from "tapa"

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 "tapa"?
"tapa" is spelled T-A-P-A.
What does "tapa" mean?
As a noun, "tapa" means: tampa da boca da peça
What words are commonly confused with "tapa"?
"tapa" is commonly confused with "tua", "tia", "TEA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "tapa" come from?
"tapa" 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 “tapa”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is T-A-P-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “tua” - see the side-by-side comparison. tapa vs tua
  • 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