Which to use
“algo” is an adverb and “auto” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #222
- “algo” frequency rank
- #1,421
- “auto” frequency rank
- 1643
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | algo | auto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | um pouco, de certo modo | solenidade; ação pública |
Where the eye mixes algo and auto
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses algo with auto
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: algo is /ˈaw.gu/ while auto is /ˈaw.tu/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1643, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
algo is recorded at frequency rank #222, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈaw.gu/. auto is at rank #1,421, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈaw.tu/.
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 1643, this pair ranks #73,886 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of algo vs auto
Shared letters: ao. Private to "algo": gl. Private to "auto": tu.
"algo" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "auto" · 4 letters · shape VVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "algo" for "auto" ever safe?
Frequency check: "algo" vs "auto" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "algo" and "auto" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "algo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auto" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #73,886 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "algo" and "auto" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alce vs algo". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #73,886 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.