Which to use
“espada” and “espera” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,230
- “espada” frequency rank
- #825
- “espera” frequency rank
- 5055
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | espada | espera |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | arma branca composta por um punho e uma lâmina pontiaguda e comprida, com um ou dois gumes | ato de esperar |
Where the eye mixes espada and espera
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses espada with espera
A purely visual mix-up. espada ([ɪs.ˈpa.dɐ] ; [es.ˈpa.dɐ]) and espera (/iʃ.ˈpɛ.ɾɐ/) 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 5055, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
espada is recorded at frequency rank #4,230, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɪs.ˈpa.dɐ] ; [es.ˈpa.dɐ]. espera is at rank #825, tagged as anoun, pronounced /iʃ.ˈpɛ.ɾɐ/.
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 5055, this pair ranks #69,661 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of espada vs espera
Shared letters: aeps. Private to "espada": d. Private to "espera": r.
"espada" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "espera" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "espada" and "espera" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "espada" or "espera"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "espada" and "espera" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "espada" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "espera" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #69,661 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "espada" and "espera" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "enxada vs espada". 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 #69,661 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.