Which to use
“gás” and “gem” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,748
- “gás” frequency rank
- #36,472
- “gem” frequency rank
- 38220
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gás | gem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | estado fluido da matéria, sem forma definida, cujo volume é o do recipiente que o contém | gema (pedra preciosa) |
Where the eye mixes gás and gem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses gás with gem
A purely visual mix-up. gás (/ˈɡaʃ/) and gem (/ʤɛm/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38220, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gás is recorded at frequency rank #1,748, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɡaʃ/. gem is at rank #36,472, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ʤɛm/.
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 38220, this pair ranks #28,252 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of gás vs gem
Shared letters: g. Private to "gás": sá. Private to "gem": em.
"gás" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "gem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "gás" for "gem" ever safe?
Frequency check: "gás" vs "gem" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "gás" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "gem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #28,252 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gás" and "gem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gem vs GQ". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #28,252 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.