Which to use
“ilha” and “irmã” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,012
- “ilha” frequency rank
- #939
- “irmã” frequency rank
- 1951
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ilha | irmã |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | porção de terra emersa cercada de água | 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 ilha and irmã apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. ilha (/ˈi.ʎɐ/) and irmã (/iɾ.ˈmɐ̃/) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1951, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ilha is recorded at frequency rank #1,012, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈi.ʎɐ/. 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 1951, this pair ranks #73,571 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ilha vs irmã
Shared letters: i. Private to "ilha": ahl. Private to "irmã": mrã.
"ilha" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "irmã" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ilha ← ihla · ilah · ilhha · illha · liha
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ilha" and "irmã" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ilha" or "irmã"?
Remembering ilha vs irmã
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ilha” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable