Which to use
“mãos” and “mato” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #761
- “mãos” frequency rank
- #1,821
- “mato” frequency rank
- 2582
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mãos | mato |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural de mão | área não cultivada e coberta de plantas agrestes |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mãos and mato apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. mãos (/ˈmɐ̃w̃ʃ/) and mato (/ˈma.tʊ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2582, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mãos is recorded at frequency rank #761, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɐ̃w̃ʃ/. mato is at rank #1,821, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈma.tʊ/.
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 2582, this pair ranks #72,760 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mãos vs mato
Shared letters: mo. Private to "mãos": sã. Private to "mato": at.
"mãos" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "mato" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- mato ← amto · maot · matto · mmato · mtao
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mãos" and "mato" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mãos" or "mato"?
Remembering mãos vs mato
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 “mãos” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable