Which to use
“abraçar” and “ameaçar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,588
- “abraçar” frequency rank
- #9,952
- “ameaçar” frequency rank
- 17540
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abraçar | ameaçar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | envolver com os braços | advertir (alguém que algo lhe pode acontecer) |
Where the eye mixes abraçar and ameaçar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. abraçar (VCCVCVC) and ameaçar (VCVVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: abraçar vs ameaçar
A purely visual mix-up. abraçar (/ɐ.bɾɐ.ˈsaɾ/) and ameaçar (/ɐ.mjɐ.ˈsaɾ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17540, 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/. ameaçar is at rank #9,952, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɐ.mjɐ.ˈsaɾ/.
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 17540, this pair ranks #53,681 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abraçar vs ameaçar
Shared letters: arç. Private to "abraçar": b. Private to "ameaçar": em.
"abraçar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "ameaçar" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "abraçar" and "ameaçar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "abraçar" or "ameaçar" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "abraçar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ameaçar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #53,681 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "abraçar" and "ameaçar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ameaçar vs aplacar". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #53,681 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.