Which to use
“àquela” is a contraction and “aquém” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,603
- “àquela” frequency rank
- #26,275
- “aquém” frequency rank
- 35878
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | àquela | aquém |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | contração da preposição a com o pronome demonstrativo aquela | da parte ou do lado de cá |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set àquela and aquém apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: àquela is acontraction and aquémanadverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35878, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
àquela is recorded at frequency rank #9,603, classified as acontraction. aquém is at rank #26,275, tagged as anadv, pronounced /aˈkɐ̃j̃/.
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 35878, this pair ranks #31,078 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of àquela vs aquém
Shared letters: aqu. Private to "àquela": elà. Private to "aquém": mé.
"àquela" · 6 letters · shape VCVVCV · "aquém" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "àquela" and "aquém" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "àquela" or "aquém"?
Remembering àquela vs aquém
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a contraction, it's “àquela”; for an adverb, it's “aquém”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “àquela” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable