zona

/ˈzo.nɐ/

//ˈzo.nɐ// noun

The verdict

“zona” is in the everyday core of Portuguese, ranked #979 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#979
frequency rank, Portuguese
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - porção de uma superfície esférica, determinada por dois planos paralelos que a cortam

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

zona vs zorra
60% similar
zona vs za
50% similar
zona vs zen
50% similar

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

Key facts for zona
PropertyValue
Headwordzona
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈzo.nɐ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#979
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zona” 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). zona 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 zona is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈzo.nɐ/. Corpus data places it at rank #979 in overall Portuguese word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 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 zona, with forms such as "ozna", "znoa", and "zoan". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "zorra", "za", "zen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Portuguese form is zona, spelled Z-O-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    porção de uma superfície esférica, determinada por dois planos paralelos que a cortam
  2. 2
    cada uma das cinco divisões da esfera terrestre, determinadas pelos trópicos, pelos círculos polares e pelo equador, nas quais predominam tipos diferenciados de clima
  3. 3
    região definida por critério econômico, científico, administrativo, etc. (Zona Sul, Zona da mata.)
  4. 4
    área, região
  5. 5
    situação de desordem
  6. 6
    região onde se concentram prostíbulos

Synonyms

algazarrabagunça

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ozna,znoa,zoan,zonna,zzona

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of zona - 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.

ozna2znoa2zoan2zonna1zzona1
Edit distance from "zona"

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 "zona"?
"zona" is spelled Z-O-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈzo.nɐ/.
What does "zona" mean?
As a noun, "zona" means: porção de uma superfície esférica, determinada por dois planos paralelos que a cortam
What words are commonly confused with "zona"?
"zona" is commonly confused with "zorra", "za", "zen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zona"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zona" is /ˈzo.nɐ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zona" come from?
"zona" 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 “zona”

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

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