Which to use
“ce” is a pronoun and “cem” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,311
- “ce” frequency rank
- #3,188
- “cem” frequency rank
- 6499
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ce | cem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | o que | número equivalente a dez dezenas; cardinalidade de um conjunto que contenha uma centena de elementos distintos; representado pelo símbolo 100 (algarismos arábicos) ou C (algarismos romanos) |
Where the eye mixes ce and cem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between ce and cem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ce is /t͡ʃe/ while cem is /ˈsɐ̃j̃/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “ce” sits inside “cem”, and the parts of speech differ too (pronoun vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6499, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ce is recorded at frequency rank #3,311, classified as apron, pronounced /t͡ʃe/. cem is at rank #3,188, tagged as anum, pronounced /ˈsɐ̃j̃/.
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 6499, this pair ranks #67,926 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ce vs cem
Shared letters: ce. Private to "ce": -. Private to "cem": m.
"ce" · 2 letters · shape CV · "cem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ce" and "cem" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "ce" vs "cem" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ce" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #67,926 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ce" and "cem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cem vs cham". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #67,926 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.