Which to use
“mãos” is a noun and “mau” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #761
- “mãos” frequency rank
- #1,936
- “mau” frequency rank
- 2697
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mãos | mau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural de mão | que não é de boa qualidade, ruim |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mãos and mau apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mãos is /ˈmɐ̃w̃ʃ/ while mau is /ˈmaw/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2697, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mãos is recorded at frequency rank #761, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɐ̃w̃ʃ/. mau is at rank #1,936, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈmaw/.
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 2697, this pair ranks #72,601 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mãos vs mau
Shared letters: m. Private to "mãos": osã. Private to "mau": au.
"mãos" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mãos" and "mau" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mãos" or "mau"?
Remembering mãos vs mau
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “mãos”; for an adjective, it's “mau”.
- 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