fútbolvsfútilWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: fútbol is a noun, fútil is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“fútbol” is a noun and “fútil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#36,035
“fútbol” frequency rank
#22,994
“fútil” frequency rank
59029
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fútbol fútil
Definition futebol incapaz de produzir qualquer resultado; inútil

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fútbol and fútil apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
fútbol
5 ch
fútil

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: fútbol is anoun and fútilanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59029, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fútbol is recorded at frequency rank #36,035, classified as anoun. fútil is at rank #22,994, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈfu.tiɫ/.

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 59029, this pair ranks #8,415 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of fútbol vs fútil

Shared letters: fltú. Private to "fútbol": bo. Private to "fútil": i.

"fútbol" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "fútil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Frequency comparison

fútbol#36,035
fútil#22,994

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fútbol" and "fútil" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "fútbol" is a noun and "fútil" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "fútbol" or "fútil"?
"fútil" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,994 in our Portuguese list, against #36,035 for "fútbol". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fútbol vs fútil

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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