Which to use
“alguém” and “algum” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #150
- “alguém” frequency rank
- #371
- “algum” frequency rank
- 521
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alguém | algum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | pessoa não identificada | um certo |
Letter map: alguém vs algum
Shared letters muted; letters that set alguém and algum apart highlighted. Shared run: 5. alguém runs 6 letters (VCCVVC) against algum's 5 (VCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Corpus notes: alguém and algum
alguém and algum are indexed as a confusable Portuguese pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 521, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alguém is recorded at frequency rank #150, classified as apron, pronounced [aw.ˈgẽj]. algum is at rank #371, tagged as apron.
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 521, this pair ranks #75,145 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of alguém vs algum
Shared letters: aglmu. Private to "alguém": é. Private to "algum": -.
"alguém" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC · "algum" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- algum ← aglum · alggum · algmu · algumm · allgum · alugm · lagum
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "alguém" for "algum" ever safe?
Which is more common, "alguém" or "algum"?
After this comparison
Pair "alguém" vs "algum" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "alguém" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "algum" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #75,145 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alguém" and "algum" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "algoz vs algum". 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 #75,145 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.