dezvsdizWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: dez is a adjective, diz is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“dez” is an adjective and “diz” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#771
“dez” frequency rank
#156
“diz” frequency rank
927
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dez diz
Definition dotado de bons atributos terceira pessoa do singular do presente do indicativo do verbo dizer

Where the spellings diverge

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

3 ch
dez
3 ch
diz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

dez and diz form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - e in “dez” becomes i in “diz” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dez is recorded at frequency rank #771, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈdɛʃ/. diz is at rank #156, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈʤis/.

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 927, this pair ranks #74,700 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

dez#771
diz#156

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dez" and "diz" be used interchangeably?
No, "dez" and "diz" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering dez vs diz

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “dez”; for a verb, it's “diz”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dez” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list