cemvscutWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#3,188
“cem” frequency rank
#11,244
“cut” frequency rank
14432
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature cem cut
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) cortado

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cem and cut apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
cem
3 ch
cut

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

cem and cut 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 14432, 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/. cut is at rank #11,244, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈkʌt/.

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 14432, this pair ranks #57,640 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

cem#3,188
cut#11,244

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "cem" and "cut" be used interchangeably?
No, "cem" and "cut" 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 cut

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “cem”; for an adjective, it's “cut”.
  • 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