Which to use
“mal” is an adverb and “metal” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #319
- “mal” frequency rank
- #3,027
- “metal” frequency rank
- 3346
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mal | metal |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | de forma pouco satisfatória | toda substância simples, dotada de brilho próprio (brilho metálico), boa condutora de calor e de eletricidade, que forma óxidos básicos em contato com o oxigênio, e que na eletrólise se dirige ao pólo negativo |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mal and metal apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
mal and metal 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 2 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 3346, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mal is recorded at frequency rank #319, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈmaw/. metal is at rank #3,027, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mɨ.ˈtaɫ/.
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 3346, this pair ranks #71,826 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mal" and "metal" be used interchangeably?
Remembering mal vs metal
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “mal”; for a noun, it's “metal”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mal” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable