faxvsfelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,370
“fax” frequency rank
#42,931
“fel” frequency rank
57301
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fax fel
Definition aparelho transmissor e receptor de documentos em fac-símile bile, bílis

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fax and fel apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
fax
3 ch
fel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fax (/ˈfaks/) and fel (/ˈfɛɫ/) 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 57301, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fax is recorded at frequency rank #14,370, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈfaks/. fel is at rank #42,931, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈfɛɫ/.

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 57301, this pair ranks #9,428 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of fax vs fel

Shared letters: f. Private to "fax": ax. Private to "fel": el.

"fax" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "fel" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

fax#14,370
fel#42,931

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fax" and "fel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ˈfaks/ versus /ˈfɛɫ/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fax" or "fel"?
"fax" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,370 in our Portuguese list, against #42,931 for "fel". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fax vs fel

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 “fax” 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