Which to use
“coisa” and “comida” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #105
- “coisa” frequency rank
- #865
- “comida” frequency rank
- 970
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | coisa | comida |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | qualquer objeto inanimado; em sentido filosófico, coisa é tudo aquilo subsistente por si mesmo; a filosofia kantiana afirma ser uma coisa aquilo que existe independentemente do espírito; no sentido usual, como para o Direito, coisa é tudo aquilo que, percebido pelos sentidos, pode apresentar utilidade para o homem, caso em que se chama bem material | o que serve para comer |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set coisa and comida apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
coisa and comida form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 970, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
coisa is recorded at frequency rank #105, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkojzɐ]. comida is at rank #865, tagged as anoun, pronounced /koˈmi.dɐ/.
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 970, this pair ranks #74,655 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "coisa" and "comida" be used interchangeably?
Remembering coisa vs comida
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “coisa” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable