vela

/ˈvɛ.lɐ/

//ˈvɛ.lɐ// noun

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

The verdict

“vela” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #5,478 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,478
frequency rank, Portuguese
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - peça de brim ou lona que, presa às vergas de um mastro ou ao próprio mastro da embarcação, impele esta com a ajuda do vento

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vela vs ver
50% similar
vela vs vez
50% similar
vela vs via
50% similar

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

Key facts for vela
PropertyValue
Headwordvela
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɛ.lɐ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,478
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vela” 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). vela 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 vela is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɛ.lɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,478 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 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 vela, with forms such as "evla", "veal", and "vella". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ver", "vez", "via", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Portuguese form is vela, spelled V-E-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    peça de brim ou lona que, presa às vergas de um mastro ou ao próprio mastro da embarcação, impele esta com a ajuda do vento
  2. 2
    navio, nau, embarcação
  3. 3
    pano que se prende aos braços dos moinhos de vento
  4. 4
    desporto náutico praticado em embarcações a vela¹
  5. 5
    ato de velar ou vigiar
  6. 6
    indivíduo que fica de vigia
  7. 7
    privação do sono durante a noite
  8. 8
    rolo cilíndrico de cera ou de outra substância gordurosa e combustível com um pavio ao centro que serve para iluminar
  9. 9
    espécie de sonda que se introduz nos orifícios naturais do organismo e serve de veículo a vários medicamentos
  10. 10
    forma farmacêutica introduzível pela uretra
  11. 11
    dispositivo que se encaixa à cabeça do cilindro em um [motor] de combustão interna e inflama a mistura comprimida de ar e combustível por meio de uma centelha elétrica
  12. 12
    cilindro oco, feito de material poroso, que serve para purificar impurezas da água destinada para consumo
  13. 13
    antiga unidade de medida de intensidade luminosa

Synonyms

panoiatismosentinelaveladavigíliavigiasentinelavigiacíriocandeiaignitorvela de ignição

This word in other languages

sail(English)vela(Español)voile(Français)Segel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: evla,veal,vella,vlea,vvela

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vela - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

evla2veal2vella1vlea2vvela1
Edit distance from "vela"

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 "vela"?
"vela" is spelled V-E-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɛ.lɐ/.
What does "vela" mean?
As a noun, "vela" means: peça de brim ou lona que, presa às vergas de um mastro ou ao próprio mastro da embarcação, impele esta com a ajuda do vento
What words are commonly confused with "vela"?
"vela" is commonly confused with "ver", "vez", "via". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vela"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vela" is /ˈvɛ.lɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vela" come from?
"vela" 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 “vela”

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

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