Which to use
“hão” is a verb and “hem” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #24,033
- “hão” frequency rank
- #27,124
- “hem” frequency rank
- 51157
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hão | hem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | terceira pessoa do plural do presente do indicativo do verbo haver | expressa incompreensão, não entendimento, simultaneamente comunicando àquele ao qual se dirige, que elucide o sentido, o nexo, que dê clareza ou que melhor se fale ou expresse o que se acabou de comunicar |
Where the eye mixes hão and hem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. hão (CVV) and hem (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses hão with hem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hão is /ˈɐ̃w̃/ [ˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃] while hem is /ẽɲ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51157, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hão is recorded at frequency rank #24,033, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈɐ̃w̃/ [ˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃]. hem is at rank #27,124, tagged as anintj, pronounced /ẽɲ/.
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 51157, this pair ranks #13,833 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of hão vs hem
Shared letters: h. Private to "hão": oã. Private to "hem": em.
"hão" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hão" for "hem" ever safe?
Frequency check: "hão" vs "hem" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hão" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #13,833 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hão" and "hem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hem vs hui". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #13,833 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.