Which to use
“le” is an article and “ler” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,016
- “le” frequency rank
- #648
- “ler” frequency rank
- 2664
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | le | ler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | partícula gramatical usada antes de substantivos ou palavras substantivadas; por geral indica uma coisa em particular | interpretar o que está escrito |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set le and ler apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
le and ler 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 1 extra letter(s) - “le” sits inside “ler” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2664, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
le is recorded at frequency rank #2,016, classified as anarticle. ler is at rank #648, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈleɾ/.
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 2664, this pair ranks #72,644 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "le" and "ler" be used interchangeably?
Remembering le vs ler
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an article, it's “le”; for a verb, it's “ler”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “le” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable