Which to use
“céu” is a noun and “cru” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,163
- “céu” frequency rank
- #14,555
- “cru” frequency rank
- 15718
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | céu | cru |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | parte do espaço que parece formar uma abóbada em cima de nossas cabeças; abóbada celeste | que não foi cozido ou não foi cozido o suficiente |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set céu and cru apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: céu is /ˈsɛw/ while cru is /ˈkɾu/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - é in “céu” becomes r in “cru”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15718, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
céu is recorded at frequency rank #1,163, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈsɛw/. cru is at rank #14,555, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈkɾu/.
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 15718, this pair ranks #56,036 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of céu vs cru
Shared letters: cu. Private to "céu": é. Private to "cru": r.
"céu" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "cru" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "céu" and "cru" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "céu" or "cru"?
Remembering céu vs cru
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “céu”; for an adjective, it's “cru”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “céu” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable