Which to use
“maço” and “mãe” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,742
- “maço” frequency rank
- #170
- “mãe” frequency rank
- 25912
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maço | mãe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | instrumento de madeira encabado para uso de carpinteiros, escultores, etc. | mulher que tem ou teve filhos, naturais ou adotivos |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maço and mãe apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
maço and mãe 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 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25912, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maço is recorded at frequency rank #25,742, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈma.su/. mãe is at rank #170, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɐ̃j̃/.
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 25912, this pair ranks #43,323 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maço" and "mãe" be used interchangeably?
Remembering maço vs mãe
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 “maço” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable