decorarvsdemoraWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: decorar is a verb, demora is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“decorar” is a verb and “demora” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#12,860
“decorar” frequency rank
#4,056
“demora” frequency rank
16916
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decorar demora
Definition aprender de cor, memorizar: ato ou efeito de demorar

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decorar and demora apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
decorar
6 ch
demora

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: decorar is averb and demoraanoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16916, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decorar is recorded at frequency rank #12,860, classified as averb. demora is at rank #4,056, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɨ.ˈmɔ.ɾɐ/.

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 16916, this pair ranks #54,497 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decorar vs demora

Shared letters: adeor. Private to "decorar": c. Private to "demora": m.

"decorar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "demora" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decorardceorar · ddecorar · deccorar · decoarr · decorarr · decorra · decorrar · decroar
  • demoraddemora · demmora · demoar · demorra · demroa · deomra · dmeora · edmora

Frequency comparison

decorar#12,860
demora#4,056

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decorar" and "demora" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "decorar" is a verb and "demora" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "decorar" or "demora"?
"demora" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,056 in our Portuguese list, against #12,860 for "decorar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decorar vs demora

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decorar”; for a noun, it's “demora”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decorar” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list