Which to use
“cem” is a num and “com” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,188
- “cem” frequency rank
- #14
- “com” frequency rank
- 3202
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cem | com |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | indica várias relações: companhia, causa, instrumento, ligação, modo, oposição |
Where the eye mixes cem and com
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: cem vs com
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cem is /ˈsɐ̃j̃/ while com is /kõ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “cem” becomes o in “com”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3202, 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/. com is at rank #14, tagged as aprep, pronounced /kõ/.
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 3202, this pair ranks #71,985 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of cem vs com
Shared letters: cm. Private to "cem": e. Private to "com": o.
"cem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "com" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cem" and "com" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "cem" or "com" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "cem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "com" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #71,985 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cem" and "com" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cem vs cham". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #71,985 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.