Which to use
“is” is a verb and “isto” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,709
- “is” frequency rank
- #349
- “isto” frequency rank
- 2058
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | is | isto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | contração de agus; e | indica algo que está próximo a quem fala ou assunto de que se fala |
Letter map: is vs isto
Shared letters muted; letters that set is and isto apart highlighted. Shared run: 2. is runs 2 letters (VC) against isto's 4 (VCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Grammar separator: is vs isto
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: is is averb and istoapronoun. On the page they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “is” sits inside “isto”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2058, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
is is recorded at frequency rank #1,709, classified as averb. isto is at rank #349, tagged as apron, pronounced /ˈis.tu/.
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 2058, this pair ranks #73,430 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of is vs isto
Shared letters: is. Private to "is": -. Private to "isto": ot.
"is" · 2 letters · shape VC · "isto" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- isto ← isot · issto · istto · itso
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "is" and "isto" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "is" or "isto"?
What to do next
You've compared "is" and "isto". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "is" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "isto" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #73,430 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "is" and "isto" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ino vs is". 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 #73,430 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.