Which to use
“abrir” is a verb and “air” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,038
- “abrir” frequency rank
- #6,609
- “air” frequency rank
- 7647
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abrir | air |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | levar de um estado fechado para um aberto, descerrar | aéreo |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abrir and air apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: abrir is /ɐ.ˈbɾiɾ/ while air is /ˈɛɹ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7647, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abrir is recorded at frequency rank #1,038, classified as averb, pronounced /ɐ.ˈbɾiɾ/. air is at rank #6,609, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈɛɹ/.
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 7647, this pair ranks #66,448 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of abrir vs air
Shared letters: air. Private to "abrir": b. Private to "air": -.
"abrir" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "air" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- abrir ← abbrir · abirr · abrirr · abrri · abrrir · arbir · barir
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "abrir" and "air" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "abrir" or "air"?
Remembering abrir vs air
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “abrir”; for an adjective, it's “air”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abrir” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable