timbre

noun

The verdict

“timbre” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #23,151 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,151
frequency rank, Portuguese
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - característica sonora que nos permite distinguir se sons de mesma frequência foram produzidos por fontes sonoras conhecidas e que nos permite diferenciá-las

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

timbre vs tigre
67% similar

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

Key facts for timbre
PropertyValue
Headwordtimbre
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,151
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “timbre” 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). timbre 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 timbre is 6 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #23,151 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for timbre, with forms such as "itmbre", "tibmre", and "timbbre". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "tigre", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Portuguese form is timbre, spelled T-I-M-B-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    característica sonora que nos permite distinguir se sons de mesma frequência foram produzidos por fontes sonoras conhecidas e que nos permite diferenciá-las
  2. 2
    qualidade característica de um som produzido por instrumento ou voz em particular; cor tonal
  3. 3
    peça das armas do brasão que fica colocada sobre o virol do elmo
  4. 4
    selo

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itmbre,tibmre,timbbre,timber,timbrre,timmbre,timrbe,tmibre,ttimbre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itmbre2tibmre2timbbre1timber2timbrre1timmbre1timrbe2tmibre2
Edit distance from "timbre"

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 "timbre"?
"timbre" is spelled T-I-M-B-R-E.
What does "timbre" mean?
As a noun, "timbre" means: característica sonora que nos permite distinguir se sons de mesma frequência foram produzidos por fontes sonoras conhecidas e que nos permite diferenciá-las
What words are commonly confused with "timbre"?
"timbre" is commonly confused with "tigre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "timbre" come from?
"timbre" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “timbre”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is T-I-M-B-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “tigre” - see the side-by-side comparison. timbre vs tigre
  • 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