Which to use
“maa” is a noun and “mau” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,525
- “maa” frequency rank
- #1,936
- “mau” frequency rank
- 50461
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maa | mau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | chão, solo | que não é de boa qualidade, ruim |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maa and mau apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: maa is anoun and mauanadjective. On the page they differ by a single letter - a in “maa” becomes u in “mau”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50461, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maa is recorded at frequency rank #48,525, classified as anoun. mau is at rank #1,936, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈmaw/.
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 50461, this pair ranks #14,502 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of maa vs mau
Shared letters: am. Private to "maa": -. Private to "mau": u.
"maa" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maa" and "mau" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "maa" or "mau"?
Remembering maa vs mau
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “maa”; for an adjective, it's “mau”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “maa” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable