Which to use
“bin” is a verb and “bo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,722
- “bin” frequency rank
- #7,736
- “bo” frequency rank
- 16458
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bin | bo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | primeira pessoa do singular do presente do indicativo do verbo sein: | bastão longo de madeira ou bambu, utilizado em artes marciais |
Where the eye mixes bin and bo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses bin with bo
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bin is /bɪn/ while bo is /bo/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16458, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bin is recorded at frequency rank #8,722, classified as averb, pronounced /bɪn/. bo is at rank #7,736, tagged as anoun, pronounced /bo/.
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 16458, this pair ranks #55,070 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of bin vs bo
Shared letters: b. Private to "bin": in. Private to "bo": o.
"bin" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "bo" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "bin" for "bo" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "bin" or "bo" show up more?
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 "bin" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "bo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #55,070 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bin" and "bo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bile vs bin". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #55,070 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.