calçarvscauçãoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: calçar is a verb, caução is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“calçar” is a verb and “caução” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#37,677
“calçar” frequency rank
#43,325
“caução” frequency rank
81002
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature calçar caução
Definition transitivo valor depositado como garantia de realização de um compromisso

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set calçar and caução apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
calçar
6 ch
caução

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: calçar is averb and cauçãoanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 81002, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

calçar is recorded at frequency rank #37,677, classified as averb, pronounced /kaɫ.ˈsaɾ/. caução is at rank #43,325, tagged as anoun.

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 81002, this pair ranks #1,226 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of calçar vs caução

Shared letters: acç. Private to "calçar": lr. Private to "caução": ouã.

"calçar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "caução" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVV

Frequency comparison

calçar#37,677
caução#43,325

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "calçar" and "caução" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "calçar" is a verb and "caução" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "calçar" or "caução"?
"calçar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #37,677 in our Portuguese list, against #43,325 for "caução". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering calçar vs caução

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “calçar”; for a noun, it's “caução”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “calçar” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list