caráctervscaráterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“carácter” and “caráter” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#8,015
“carácter” frequency rank
#2,223
“caráter” frequency rank
10238
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature carácter caráter
Definition o mesmo que caráter cunho especial que distingue as coisas entre si:

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set carácter and caráter apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
carácter
7 ch
caráter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. carácter (/kaˈrak.tɛr/) and caráter (/kaˈra.tɛr/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

carácter is recorded at frequency rank #8,015, classified as anoun, pronounced /kaˈrak.tɛr/. caráter is at rank #2,223, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kaˈra.tɛr/.

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 10238, this pair ranks #62,932 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of carácter vs caráter

Shared letters: acertá. Private to "carácter": -. Private to "caráter": -.

"carácter" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "caráter" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

carácter#8,015
caráter#2,223

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "carácter" and "caráter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/kaˈrak.tɛr/ versus /kaˈra.tɛr/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "carácter" or "caráter"?
"caráter" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,223 in our Portuguese list, against #8,015 for "carácter". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering carácter vs caráter

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 “carácter” 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