Which to use
“dona” is an adjective and “done” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,475
- “dona” frequency rank
- #23,299
- “done” frequency rank
- 25774
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dona | done |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ruim, mau | particípio do verbo do |
Where the eye mixes dona and done
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses dona with done
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: dona is /ˈt̪ɔnə/ while done is /dʌn/; /dɐn/; /dʊn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - a in “dona” becomes e in “done”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25774, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dona is recorded at frequency rank #2,475, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈt̪ɔnə/. done is at rank #23,299, tagged as averb, pronounced /dʌn/; /dɐn/; /dʊn/.
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 25774, this pair ranks #43,474 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dona vs done
Shared letters: dno. Private to "dona": a. Private to "done": e.
"dona" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "done" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dona" and "done" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "dona" vs "done" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "dona" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "done" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #43,474 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dona" and "done" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dodo vs done". 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 #43,474 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.