Which to use
“alas” and “alce” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,688
- “alas” frequency rank
- #48,754
- “alce” frequency rank
- 66442
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alas | alce |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | forma plural de ala: | mamífero artiodáctilo da família dos cervídeos (Alces alces), que ocorre nas regiões frias ao norte do hemisfério norte; de pelagem escura, ponta do focinho larga e arqueada e grande galhada espalmada, com numerosas pontas, presente somente nos machos [É o maior dos cervídeos, alcançando até 3 m de comprimento.] |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set alas and alce apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. alas (/ˈa.lɐs/) and alce (/ˈaɫ.sɨ/) 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 66442, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alas is recorded at frequency rank #17,688, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈa.lɐs/. alce is at rank #48,754, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈaɫ.sɨ/.
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 66442, this pair ranks #4,989 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of alas vs alce
Shared letters: al. Private to "alas": s. Private to "alce": ce.
"alas" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "alce" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alas" and "alce" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "alas" or "alce"?
Remembering alas vs alce
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 “alas” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable