zebra

noun

The verdict

“zebra” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #19,600 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,600
frequency rank, Portuguese
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mamífero semelhante ao cavalo que se distingue pelo fato de ter listras pretas ou marrom escuras alternadas com brancas

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

zebra vs zero
60% similar
zebra vs zorra
60% similar

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

Key facts for zebra
PropertyValue
Headwordzebra
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
Letters5
Frequency rank#19,600
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zebra” 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). zebra 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 zebra is 5 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #19,600 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 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for zebra, with forms such as "ezbra", "zbera", and "zebar". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "zero", "zorra", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Portuguese form is zebra, spelled Z-E-B-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    mamífero semelhante ao cavalo que se distingue pelo fato de ter listras pretas ou marrom escuras alternadas com brancas
  2. 2
    resultado inesperado em uma competição esportiva ou da loteria
  3. 3
    numa estrada, marcação às listras brancas indicando passagem para peões
  4. 4
    pequena plataforma angulada com baixa elevação que cobre as linhas de cortorno de certas margens de pista de corrida em trechos de frenagem próximos a curvas e que tem por função impedir o escape do automóvel ao servir-lhe de apoio

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ezbra,zbera,zebar,zebbra,zebrra,zerba,zzebra

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of zebra - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ezbra2zbera2zebar2zebbra1zebrra1zerba2zzebra1
Edit distance from "zebra"

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 "zebra"?
"zebra" is spelled Z-E-B-R-A.
What does "zebra" mean?
As a noun, "zebra" means: mamífero semelhante ao cavalo que se distingue pelo fato de ter listras pretas ou marrom escuras alternadas com brancas
What words are commonly confused with "zebra"?
"zebra" is commonly confused with "zero", "zorra". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "zebra" come from?
"zebra" 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 “zebra”

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

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