Which to use
“cru” is an adjective and “cum” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,555
- “cru” frequency rank
- #29,299
- “cum” frequency rank
- 43854
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cru | cum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | que não foi cozido ou não foi cozido o suficiente | usado para indicar algo com duas funções, ou então que tenha se modificado de uma coisa para outra: |
Where the eye mixes cru and cum
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. cru (CCV) and cum (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: cru vs cum
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cru is /ˈkɾu/ while cum is /kʌm/. 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 (adjective vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43854, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cru is recorded at frequency rank #14,555, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈkɾu/. cum is at rank #29,299, tagged as aprep, pronounced /kʌm/.
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 43854, this pair ranks #21,731 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cru vs cum
Shared letters: cu. Private to "cru": r. Private to "cum": m.
"cru" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "cum" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "cru" for "cum" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "cru" or "cum" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "cru" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cum" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #21,731 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cru" and "cum" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cham vs cum". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #21,731 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.