Which to use
“ídolo” and “índole” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,585
- “ídolo” frequency rank
- #25,179
- “índole” frequency rank
- 32764
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ídolo | índole |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | figura, estátua que representa uma divindade que se adora | tendência natural |
Where the eye mixes ídolo and índole
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. ídolo runs 5 letters (VCVCV) against índole's 6 (VCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ídolo and índole
A purely visual mix-up. ídolo (/ˈi.du.lu/) and índole (/ˈĩ.du.lɨ/) 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 32764, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ídolo is recorded at frequency rank #7,585, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈi.du.lu/. índole is at rank #25,179, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈĩ.du.lɨ/.
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 32764, this pair ranks #34,939 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ídolo vs índole
Shared letters: dloí. Private to "ídolo": -. Private to "índole": en.
"ídolo" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "índole" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ídolo" and "índole" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ídolo" or "índole"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ídolo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "índole" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #34,939 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ídolo" and "índole" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "idle vs índole". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #34,939 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.