Which to use
“dessa” and “desse” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #375
- “dessa” frequency rank
- #391
- “desse” frequency rank
- 766
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dessa | desse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | contração da preposição de com o pronome ou determinante demonstrativo feminino essa: | contração da preposição de com o pronome ou determinante demonstrativo esse: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dessa and desse apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dessa (/ˈdɛ.sɐ/) and desse (/ˈde.sɨ/) 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 “dessa” becomes e in “desse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 766, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dessa is recorded at frequency rank #375, classified as acontraction, pronounced /ˈdɛ.sɐ/. 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 766, this pair ranks #74,891 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dessa vs desse
Shared letters: des. Private to "dessa": a. Private to "desse": -.
"dessa" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "desse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dessa" and "desse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dessa" or "desse"?
Remembering dessa vs desse
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 “dessa” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable