Which to use
“ape” and “ato” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,095
- “ape” frequency rank
- #1,326
- “ato” frequency rank
- 29421
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ape | ato |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | comida para cavalos | processo de fazer algo; manifestação real e tangível |
Where the eye mixes ape and ato
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between ape and ato
A purely visual mix-up. ape (/ˈɑ.pe/) and ato (/ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/) 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 29421, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ape is recorded at frequency rank #28,095, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɑ.pe/. ato is at rank #1,326, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/.
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 29421, this pair ranks #39,219 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ape vs ato
Shared letters: a. Private to "ape": ep. Private to "ato": ot.
"ape" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ato" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ape" and "ato" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ape" or "ato"?
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 "ape" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ato" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #39,219 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ape" and "ato" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "acs vs ape". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #39,219 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.