Letrar

Letrar is a verb in Portuguese that denotes the act of spelling a word by pronouncing its component letters, rather than saying the word as a whole. For example, to letrar the word casa would involve saying c-a-s-a. In educational contexts, teachers frequently ask students to letrar words to practice letter-sound correspondence and decoding skills. The verb can appear in phrases such as letrar uma palavra or letrando as letras, though some speakers prefer deletretar or deletrear for the same meaning.

Etymology and form: Letrar is derived from letra, meaning “letter,” with the standard Portuguese infinitive ending -ar. The term is used across Portuguese-speaking regions, particularly in school settings.

Usage notes: Letrar is most common in formal and instructional language related to literacy and spelling practice. In some varieties, deletrear is also used for the same action, and in informal speech speakers may simply spell out the letters of a word.

Related terms: Leitura and letrado relate to broader concepts of literacy and education. Leitar or letramento, less common as verbs, connect to the process of acquiring reading and writing skills; letrado refers to a literate person.

Cross-linguistic note: In Spanish, the equivalent verb is deletrear; in English, the common verb is spell.

See also: spelling, literacy, alphabet, phonics, letramento.