Which to use
“contestar” and “contratar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,834
- “contestar” frequency rank
- #5,931
- “contratar” frequency rank
- 26765
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contestar | contratar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | contradizer, refutar | combinar, ajustar |
Where the eye mixes contestar and contratar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. contestar (CVCCVCCVC) and contratar (CVCCCVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: contestar vs contratar
A purely visual mix-up. contestar (/kõ.tɨʃ.ˈtaɾ/) and contratar (/kõ.tɾɐ.ˈtaɾ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26765, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contestar is recorded at frequency rank #20,834, classified as averb, pronounced /kõ.tɨʃ.ˈtaɾ/. contratar is at rank #5,931, tagged as averb, pronounced /kõ.tɾɐ.ˈtaɾ/.
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 26765, this pair ranks #42,322 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of contestar vs contratar
Shared letters: acnort. Private to "contestar": es. Private to "contratar": -.
"contestar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "contratar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "contestar" for "contratar" ever safe?
Which is more common, "contestar" or "contratar"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "contestar" and "contratar" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "contestar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "contratar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #42,322 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "contestar" and "contratar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "concertar vs contestar". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #42,322 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.