Which to use
“mamã” is a noun and “mamão” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,037
- “mamã” frequency rank
- #23,399
- “mamão” frequency rank
- 52436
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mamã | mamão |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mãe | que mama muito |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mamã and mamão apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: mamã is anoun and mamãoanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “mamã” sits inside “mamão”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52436, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mamã is recorded at frequency rank #29,037, classified as anoun, pronounced /mɜˈmɜ̃/. mamão is at rank #23,399, tagged as anadj.
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 52436, this pair ranks #12,762 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mamã vs mamão
Shared letters: amã. Private to "mamã": -. Private to "mamão": o.
"mamã" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "mamão" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mamã" and "mamão" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mamã" or "mamão"?
Remembering mamã vs mamão
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “mamã”; for an adjective, it's “mamão”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mamã” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable