Which to use
“dez” is an adjective and “dua” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #771
- “dez” frequency rank
- #39,112
- “dua” frequency rank
- 39883
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dez | dua |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dotado de bons atributos | querer |
Where the eye mixes dez and dua
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses dez with dua
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: dez is /ˈdɛʃ/ while dua is /ˈdwa/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39883, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dez is recorded at frequency rank #771, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈdɛʃ/. dua is at rank #39,112, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈdwa/.
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 39883, this pair ranks #26,302 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dez vs dua
Shared letters: d. Private to "dez": ez. Private to "dua": au.
"dez" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "dua" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dez" and "dua" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "dez" or "dua" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "dez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dua" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #26,302 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dez" and "dua" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dat vs dua". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #26,302 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.