Which to use
“isso” and “isto” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40
- “isso” frequency rank
- #349
- “isto” frequency rank
- 389
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | isso | isto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | essa coisa ou esse assunto; essas coisas; esses assuntos | indica algo que está próximo a quem fala ou assunto de que se fala |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set isso and isto apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
isso and isto form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - s in “isso” becomes t in “isto” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 389, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
isso is recorded at frequency rank #40, classified as apron. 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 389, this pair ranks #75,247 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "isso" and "isto" be used interchangeably?
Remembering isso vs isto
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 “isso” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable