Which to use
“bafo” and “baús” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,283
- “bafo” frequency rank
- #47,199
- “baús” frequency rank
- 73482
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bafo | baús |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ar exalado dos pulmões; hálito; sopro suave | plural de baú |
Where the eye mixes bafo and baús
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. bafo (CVCV) and baús (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: bafo vs baús
A purely visual mix-up. bafo ([‘ba.fʊ]) and baús (/bɐ.ˈu/) 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 73482, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bafo is recorded at frequency rank #26,283, classified as anoun, pronounced [‘ba.fʊ]. baús is at rank #47,199, tagged as anoun, pronounced /bɐ.ˈu/.
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 73482, this pair ranks #2,767 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of bafo vs baús
Shared letters: ab. Private to "bafo": fo. Private to "baús": sú.
"bafo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "baús" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- bafo ← abfo · baffo · baof · bbafo · bfao
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bafo" and "baús" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bafo" or "baús"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "bafo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "baús" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,767 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bafo" and "baús" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "baús vs bué". 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 #2,767 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.