Which to use
“bad” and “balde” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,699
- “bad” frequency rank
- #8,431
- “balde” frequency rank
- 13130
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bad | balde |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | banho | vasilha de forma quase cilíndrica para o transporte de água e outros usos domésticos feita em madeira, metal ou plástico |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bad and balde apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
bad and balde form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13130, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bad is recorded at frequency rank #4,699, classified as anoun, pronounced /bɑt/. balde is at rank #8,431, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈbaɫ.dɨ/.
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 13130, this pair ranks #59,312 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bad" and "balde" be used interchangeably?
Remembering bad vs balde
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bad” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable