Which to use
“cem” is a num and “cri” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,188
- “cem” frequency rank
- #28,523
- “cri” frequency rank
- 31711
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cem | cri |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | povo indígena da América do Norte, que habitava desde as montanhas Rochosas até o oceano Atlântico, tanto nos Estados Unidos da América quanto no Canadá |
Where the eye mixes cem and cri
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses cem with cri
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cem is /ˈsɐ̃j̃/ while cri is /ˈkɾi/. 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 (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31711, 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/. cri is at rank #28,523, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈkɾi/.
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 31711, this pair ranks #36,283 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cem vs cri
Shared letters: c. Private to "cem": em. Private to "cri": ir.
"cem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "cri" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "cem" for "cri" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "cem" or "cri" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "cem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cri" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #36,283 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cem" and "cri" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "coin vs cri". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #36,283 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.