Which to use
“foco” is a noun and “for” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,491
- “foco” frequency rank
- #220
- “for” frequency rank
- 1711
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | foco | for |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nitidez de uma imagem | primeira pessoa do singular do futuro do subjuntivo do verbo ser |
Where the eye mixes foco and for
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses foco with for
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: foco is /ˈfɔ.ko/ while for is /ˈfoɾ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1711, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
foco is recorded at frequency rank #1,491, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈfɔ.ko/. for is at rank #220, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈfoɾ/.
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 1711, this pair ranks #73,804 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of foco vs for
Shared letters: fo. Private to "foco": c. Private to "for": r.
"foco" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "for" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- foco ← fcoo · ffoco · focco · fooc · ofco
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "foco" and "for" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "foco" or "for" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "foco" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "for" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #73,804 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "foco" and "for" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "foco vs fosco". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #73,804 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.