dat vs dit, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“dat” and “dit” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#49,908
“dat” frequency rank: #46,275
“dit” frequency rank: 96183
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	dat	dit
Definition	aquele; pronome neutro que se refere a algo ou alguém distante de quem fala	isso; pronome neutro que se refere a uma coisa ou pessoa próxima

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dat and dit apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch

dat

3 ch

dit

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. dat ([dɑt]) and dit ([dɪt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - a in “dat” becomes i in “dit”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 96183, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dat is recorded at frequency rank #49,908, classified as apron, pronounced [dɑt]. dit is at rank #46,275, tagged as apron, pronounced [dɪt].

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 96183, this pair ranks #44 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of dat vs dit

Shared letters: dt. Private to "dat": a. Private to "dit": i.

"dat" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "dit" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

dat#49,908

dit#46,275

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dat" and "dit" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([dɑt] versus [dɪt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "dat" or "dit"?

"dit" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #46,275 in our Portuguese list, against #49,908 for "dat". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering dat vs dit

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 “dat” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable