Which to use
“macio” is an adjective and “malho” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,891
- “macio” frequency rank
- #44,473
- “malho” frequency rank
- 59364
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | macio | malho |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | que é suave aos sentidos. aveludado | ferramenta com cabo de madeira e na extremidade uma peça de metal com uma superfície lisa, usada para bater pregos; martelo |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set macio and malho apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: macio is anadjective and malhoanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59364, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
macio is recorded at frequency rank #14,891, classified as anadj, pronounced /mɐ.ˈsi.u/. malho is at rank #44,473, tagged as anoun.
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 59364, this pair ranks #8,220 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of macio vs malho
Shared letters: amo. Private to "macio": ci. Private to "malho": hl.
"macio" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV · "malho" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "macio" and "malho" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "macio" or "malho"?
Remembering macio vs malho
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “macio”; for a noun, it's “malho”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “macio” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable