Which to use
“esmero” and “esterno” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,347
- “esmero” frequency rank
- #48,398
- “esterno” frequency rank
- 92745
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | esmero | esterno |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | cuidado para produzir uma qualidade máxima no feitio de algo | osso chato, localizado na parte anterior do tórax, composto de três partes: o manúbrio, o corpo e a apófise xifóide |
Where the eye mixes esmero and esterno
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. esmero runs 6 letters (VCCVCV) against esterno's 7 (VCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: esmero vs esterno
A purely visual mix-up. esmero (/iʒ.ˈme.ɾu/) and esterno (/iʃ.ˈtɛɾ.nu/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 92745, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
esmero is recorded at frequency rank #44,347, classified as anoun, pronounced /iʒ.ˈme.ɾu/. esterno is at rank #48,398, tagged as anoun, pronounced /iʃ.ˈtɛɾ.nu/.
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 92745, this pair ranks #156 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of esmero vs esterno
Shared letters: eors. Private to "esmero": m. Private to "esterno": nt.
"esmero" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "esterno" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "esmero" and "esterno" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "esmero" or "esterno"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "esmero" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "esterno" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #156 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "esmero" and "esterno" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "esteio vs esterno". 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 #156 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.