cemvscheWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: cem is a num, che is an intj, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“cem” is a num and “che” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,188
“cem” frequency rank
#11,600
“che” frequency rank
14788
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature cem che
Definition 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) para expressar desprezo ou que se duvida da verdade do que se esta a ouvir

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cem and che apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
cem
3 ch
che

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

cem and che form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14788, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

cem is recorded at frequency rank #3,188, classified as anum, pronounced /ˈsɐ̃j̃/. che is at rank #11,600, tagged as anintj.

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 14788, this pair ranks #57,205 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

cem#3,188
che#11,600

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "cem" and "che" be used interchangeably?
No, "cem" and "che" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering cem vs che

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “cem”; for an intj, it's “che”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cem” 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