Which to use
“esgotar” and “espetar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,315
- “esgotar” frequency rank
- #45,837
- “espetar” frequency rank
- 70152
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | esgotar | espetar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | esvaziar | ato de cutucar com a ponta de algo |
Where the eye mixes esgotar and espetar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. esgotar and espetar follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses esgotar with espetar
A purely visual mix-up. esgotar (/iʒ.ɡu.ˈtaɾ/) and espetar (/iʃ.pɨ.ˈtaɾ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70152, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
esgotar is recorded at frequency rank #24,315, classified as averb, pronounced /iʒ.ɡu.ˈtaɾ/. espetar is at rank #45,837, tagged as averb, pronounced /iʃ.pɨ.ˈtaɾ/.
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 70152, this pair ranks #3,719 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of esgotar vs espetar
Shared letters: aerst. Private to "esgotar": go. Private to "espetar": p.
"esgotar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "espetar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "esgotar" and "espetar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "esgotar" or "espetar"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "esgotar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "espetar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #3,719 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "esgotar" and "espetar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "espetar vs espiar". 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 #3,719 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.