abraçarvsabraçoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: abraçar is a verb, abraço is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“abraçar” is a verb and “abraço” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#7,588
“abraçar” frequency rank
#3,952
“abraço” frequency rank
11540
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abraçar abraço
Definition envolver com os braços 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 abraçar and abraço apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
abraçar
6 ch
abraço

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

abraçar and abraço form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11540, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abraçar is recorded at frequency rank #7,588, classified as averb, pronounced /ɐ.bɾɐ.ˈsaɾ/. 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 11540, this pair ranks #61,281 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

abraçar#7,588
abraço#3,952

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abraçar" and "abraço" be used interchangeably?
No, "abraçar" and "abraço" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering abraçar vs abraço

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “abraçar”; for a noun, it's “abraço”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abraçar” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list