Which to use
“feio” is an adjective and “ferro” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,727
- “feio” frequency rank
- #2,093
- “ferro” frequency rank
- 6820
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feio | ferro |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | não estético, horrendo | elemento químico de símbolo Fe, possui o número atômico 26 e massa atômica relativa 55,845 u; é o quarto elemento mais abundante na crosta terrestre; é um metal duro e muito reativo, formando ligas com os mais diversos elementos |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set feio and ferro apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
feio and ferro 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 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6820, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feio is recorded at frequency rank #4,727, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈfɐj.u/. ferro is at rank #2,093, tagged as anoun.
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 6820, this pair ranks #67,502 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feio" and "ferro" be used interchangeably?
Remembering feio vs ferro
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “feio”; for a noun, it's “ferro”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “feio” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable