éguavsEmaConfusable pair

Quick tell: égua is a intj, Ema is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“égua” is an intj and “Ema” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#22,505
“égua” frequency rank
#19,695
“Ema” frequency rank
42200
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature égua Ema
Definition expressa espanto prenome feminino

Where the eye mixes égua and Ema

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. égua runs 4 letters (VCVV) against Ema's 3 (VCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

4 ch
égua
3 ch
Ema

Why the eye confuses égua with Ema

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égua is /ˈɛ.gwa/ while Ema is /ˈẽ.mɐ/. 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 (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42200, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

égua is recorded at frequency rank #22,505, classified as anintj, pronounced /ˈɛ.gwa/. Ema is at rank #19,695, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈẽ.mɐ/.

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 42200, this pair ranks #23,610 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of égua vs Ema

Shared letters: a. Private to "égua": gué. Private to "Ema": em.

"égua" · 4 letters · shape VCVV  ·  "Ema" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "égua" and "Ema" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "égua" is an intj and "Ema" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "égua" vs "Ema" - which ranks higher?
"Ema" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,695 in our Portuguese list, against #22,505 for "égua". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "égua" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Ema" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #23,610 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "égua" and "Ema" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "égua vs equal". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #23,610 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list