Which to use
“abalo” and “abraço” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,870
- “abalo” frequency rank
- #3,952
- “abraço” frequency rank
- 29822
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abalo | abraço |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ato ou efeito de abalar | gesto de afeto no qual uma pessoa contorna com seus braços a outra pessoa, animal, objeto, etc., como forma de manifestar carinho, amizade, apoio, conforto, etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abalo and abraço apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. abalo (/ɐ.ˈba.lu/) and abraço (/aˈbɾa.su/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29822, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abalo is recorded at frequency rank #25,870, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɐ.ˈba.lu/. abraço is at rank #3,952, tagged as anoun, pronounced /aˈbɾa.su/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 29822, this pair ranks #38,741 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abalo vs abraço
Shared letters: abo. Private to "abalo": l. Private to "abraço": rç.
"abalo" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "abraço" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- abalo ← aablo · aballo · abaol · abbalo · ablao · baalo
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "abalo" and "abraço" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "abalo" or "abraço"?
Remembering abalo vs abraço
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abalo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable