Which to use
“dois” is a num and “don” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #109
- “dois” frequency rank
- #4,306
- “don” frequency rank
- 4415
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dois | don |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | número equivalente a um mais um; cardinalidade de um conjunto que contenha um elemento e um outro elemento distinto; representado pelo símbolo 2 (algarismos indo-arábicos) ou II (algarismos romanos); seu feminino é duas | professor universitário (especialmente da Universidade de Oxford ou de Cambridge) |
Where the eye mixes dois and don
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses dois with don
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: dois is /ˈdojʃ/ while don is /dɒn/ ouvir ^(fonte ?). 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 (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4415, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dois is recorded at frequency rank #109, classified as anum, pronounced /ˈdojʃ/. don is at rank #4,306, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɒn/ ouvir ^(fonte ?).
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 4415, this pair ranks #70,503 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dois vs don
Shared letters: do. Private to "dois": is. Private to "don": n.
"dois" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "don" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- dois ← ddois · dios · doiss · dosi · odis
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "dois" and "don" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "dois" or "don"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "dois" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "don" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #70,503 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dois" and "don" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dat vs don". 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 #70,503 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.