Which to use
“feio” is an adjective and “freixo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,727
- “feio” frequency rank
- #18,334
- “freixo” frequency rank
- 23061
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feio | freixo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | não estético, horrendo | designação comum a várias espécies de árvores da família das Oleáceas, do género Fraxinus |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set feio and freixo apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: feio is /ˈfɐj.u/ while freixo is /ˈfɾɐj.ʃu/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23061, 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/. freixo is at rank #18,334, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈfɾɐj.ʃu/.
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 23061, this pair ranks #46,834 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of feio vs freixo
Shared letters: efio. Private to "feio": -. Private to "freixo": rx.
"feio" · 4 letters · shape CVVV · "freixo" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feio" and "freixo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "feio" or "freixo"?
Remembering feio vs freixo
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 “freixo”.
- 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