fácilvsfútilWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“fácil” and “fútil” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#464
“fácil” frequency rank
#22,994
“fútil” frequency rank
23458
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fácil fútil
Definition diz-se do que não é nem duro nem difícil de se realizar, daquilo que não exige muito trabalho ou esforço incapaz de produzir qualquer resultado; inútil

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fácil and fútil apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
fácil
5 ch
fútil

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fácil (/ˈfa.siɫ/) and fútil (/ˈfu.tiɫ/) 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 23458, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fácil is recorded at frequency rank #464, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈfa.siɫ/. fútil is at rank #22,994, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈfu.tiɫ/.

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 23458, this pair ranks #46,376 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of fácil vs fútil

Shared letters: fil. Private to "fácil": . Private to "fútil": .

"fácil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "fútil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Frequency comparison

fácil#464
fútil#22,994

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fácil" and "fútil" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ˈfa.siɫ/ versus /ˈfu.tiɫ/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fácil" or "fútil"?
"fácil" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #464 in our Portuguese list, against #22,994 for "fútil". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering fácil vs fútil

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 “fácil” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list