Which to use
“funcionar” is a verb and “funcionário” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,205
- “funcionar” frequency rank
- #4,154
- “funcionário” frequency rank
- 7359
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | funcionar | funcionário |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | realizar uma determinada função ou trabalho que se espera ser realizado | pessoa que trabalha para uma empresa ou para o Estado |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set funcionar and funcionário apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
funcionar and funcionário 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 2 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 7359, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
funcionar is recorded at frequency rank #3,205, classified as averb, pronounced /fũ.sju.ˈnaɾ/. funcionário is at rank #4,154, tagged as anoun, pronounced /fũ.si.oˈna.ɾi.u/.
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 7359, this pair ranks #66,780 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "funcionar" and "funcionário" be used interchangeably?
Remembering funcionar vs funcionário
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “funcionar”; for a noun, it's “funcionário”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “funcionar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable