Which to use
“instalar” and “instigar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,305
- “instalar” frequency rank
- #38,323
- “instigar” frequency rank
- 44628
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | instalar | instigar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | estabelecer | incitar |
Where the eye mixes instalar and instigar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between instalar and instigar
A purely visual mix-up. instalar (/ĩʃ.tɐ.ˈlaɾ/) and instigar (/ĩʃ.ti.ˈɡaɾ/) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44628, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
instalar is recorded at frequency rank #6,305, classified as averb, pronounced /ĩʃ.tɐ.ˈlaɾ/. instigar is at rank #38,323, tagged as averb, pronounced /ĩʃ.ti.ˈɡaɾ/.
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 44628, this pair ranks #20,826 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of instalar vs instigar
Shared letters: ainrst. Private to "instalar": l. Private to "instigar": g.
"instalar" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC · "instigar" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "instalar" for "instigar" ever safe?
Frequency check: "instalar" vs "instigar" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "instalar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "instigar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #20,826 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "instalar" and "instigar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "instalar vs instaurar". 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 #20,826 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.