Which to use
“ato” and “átomo” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,326
- “ato” frequency rank
- #21,055
- “átomo” frequency rank
- 22381
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ato | átomo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | processo de fazer algo; manifestação real e tangível | menor partícula em que se pode dividir um elemento, exibindo ainda todas as características típicas do comportamento químico desse elemento |
Where the eye mixes ato and átomo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. ato runs 3 letters (VCV) against átomo's 5 (VCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses ato with átomo
A purely visual mix-up. ato (/ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/) and átomo (/ˈa.tu.mu/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22381, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ato is recorded at frequency rank #1,326, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈato/ ou /ˈatu/_(plural:) /ˈatos/, /ˈatus/ ou /ˈatuʃ/. átomo is at rank #21,055, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈa.tu.mu/.
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 22381, this pair ranks #47,674 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ato vs átomo
Shared letters: ot. Private to "ato": a. Private to "átomo": má.
"ato" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "átomo" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ato" and "átomo" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "ato" or "átomo" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "ato" and "átomo" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "ato" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "átomo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #47,674 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ato" and "átomo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "álamo vs átomo". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #47,674 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.