foremvsfreeWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: forem is a verb, free is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“forem” is a verb and “free” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,330
“forem” frequency rank
#3,331
“free” frequency rank
6661
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature forem free
Definition terceira pessoa do plural do futuro do subjuntivo do verbo ser. ver gratuito, de graça

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
forem
4 ch
free

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

forem and free 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 6661, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

forem is recorded at frequency rank #3,330, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈfo.ɾẽ/. free is at rank #3,331, tagged as anadj.

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 6661, this pair ranks #67,726 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

forem#3,330
free#3,331

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "forem" and "free" be used interchangeably?
No, "forem" and "free" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering forem vs free

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “forem”; for an adjective, it's “free”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “forem” 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