Which to use
“génio” and “genius” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,765
- “génio” frequency rank
- #43,447
- “genius” frequency rank
- 70212
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | génio | genius |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | espírito bom ou mau; | gênio; pessoa genial |
Where the eye mixes génio and genius
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. génio runs 5 letters (CVCVV) against genius's 6 (CVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses génio with genius
A purely visual mix-up. génio (/ˈʒɛ.nju/) and genius (/ˈdʒin.jəs/; /ˈdʒi.ni.əs/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70212, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
génio is recorded at frequency rank #26,765, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈʒɛ.nju/. genius is at rank #43,447, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈdʒin.jəs/; /ˈdʒi.ni.əs/.
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 70212, this pair ranks #3,704 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of génio vs genius
Shared letters: gin. Private to "génio": oé. Private to "genius": esu.
"génio" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV · "genius" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- genius ← egnius · geinus · genisu · geniuss · gennius · genuis · ggenius · gneius
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "génio" for "genius" ever safe?
Which is more common, "génio" or "genius"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "génio" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "genius" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #3,704 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "génio" and "genius" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "génio vs gonzo". 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 #3,704 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.