Which to use
“dente” is a noun and “desse” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,404
- “dente” frequency rank
- #391
- “desse” frequency rank
- 5795
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dente | desse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | estrutura calcárea, dura, geralmente esmaltada, presente na boca dos animais vertebrados, usada para cortar, arrancar, triturar e moer alimentos, assim como para defesa e ataque | contração da preposição de com o pronome ou determinante demonstrativo esse: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dente and desse apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: dente is anoun and desseacontraction. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5795, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dente is recorded at frequency rank #5,404, classified as anoun. desse is at rank #391, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /ˈde.sɨ/.
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 5795, this pair ranks #68,747 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dente vs desse
Shared letters: de. Private to "dente": nt. Private to "desse": s.
"dente" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "desse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dente" and "desse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dente" or "desse"?
Remembering dente vs desse
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “dente”; for a contraction, it's “desse”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dente” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable