Which to use
“esse” and “este” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #83
- “esse” frequency rank
- #77
- “este” frequency rank
- 160
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | esse | este |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | pronome demonstrativo que designa indivíduo ou objeto afastado de quem fala e próxima da pessoa com quem se fala: | relativo a alguém ou alguma coisa que esteja perto de quem fala: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set esse and este apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
esse and este form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - s in “esse” becomes t in “este” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 160, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
esse is recorded at frequency rank #83, classified as apron, pronounced /ˈe.sɪ/. este is at rank #77, tagged as apron.
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 160, this pair ranks #75,490 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "esse" and "este" be used interchangeably?
Remembering esse vs este
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “esse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable