Which to use
“cap” is a noun and “cru” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,259
- “cap” frequency rank
- #14,555
- “cru” frequency rank
- 21814
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cap | cru |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | bode ou carneiro, especialmente velho ou castrado | que não foi cozido ou não foi cozido o suficiente |
Where the eye mixes cap and cru
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses cap with cru
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cap is /t͡sap/ while cru is /ˈkɾu/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21814, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cap is recorded at frequency rank #7,259, classified as anoun, pronounced /t͡sap/. cru is at rank #14,555, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈkɾu/.
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 21814, this pair ranks #48,361 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cap vs cru
Shared letters: c. Private to "cap": ap. Private to "cru": ru.
"cap" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "cru" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "cap" for "cru" ever safe?
Which is more common, "cap" or "cru"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "cap" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cru" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #48,361 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cap" and "cru" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "chau vs cru". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #48,361 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.