Which to use
“iam” is a verb and “irmã” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,823
- “iam” frequency rank
- #939
- “irmã” frequency rank
- 5762
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iam | irmã |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | terceira pessoa do plural do pretérito imperfeito do indicativo do verbo ir | aquela que em relação a outrem, possui os dois pais (o mesmo pai e a mesma mãe ao mesmo tempo) em comum |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set iam and irmã apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: iam is /ˈi.am/, /ˈi.ɑm/ while irmã is /iɾ.ˈmɐ̃/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5762, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iam is recorded at frequency rank #4,823, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈi.am/, /ˈi.ɑm/. irmã is at rank #939, tagged as anoun, pronounced /iɾ.ˈmɐ̃/.
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 5762, this pair ranks #68,793 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of iam vs irmã
Shared letters: im. Private to "iam": a. Private to "irmã": rã.
"iam" · 3 letters · shape VVC · "irmã" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "iam" and "irmã" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "iam" or "irmã"?
Remembering iam vs irmã
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “iam”; for a noun, it's “irmã”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “iam” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable