Which to use
“decreto” is a noun and “direto” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,041
- “decreto” frequency rank
- #1,671
- “direto” frequency rank
- 3712
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decreto | direto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | lei, norma ou regulamento editado sem discussão dos interessados | que segue em linha reta |
Where the eye mixes decreto and direto
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. decreto runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against direto's 6 (CVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: decreto vs direto
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decreto is /dɨ.ˈkɾɛ.tu/ while direto is /di.ˈɾɛ.tu/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3712, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decreto is recorded at frequency rank #2,041, classified as anoun, pronounced /dɨ.ˈkɾɛ.tu/. direto is at rank #1,671, tagged as anadj, pronounced /di.ˈɾɛ.tu/.
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 3712, this pair ranks #71,378 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decreto vs direto
Shared letters: deort. Private to "decreto": c. Private to "direto": i.
"decreto" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "direto" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "decreto" for "direto" ever safe?
Frequency check: "decreto" vs "direto" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "decreto" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "direto" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #71,378 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decreto" and "direto" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "direto vs dreno". 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 #71,378 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.