Which to use
“mat” and “mel” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,805
- “mat” frequency rank
- #2,843
- “mel” frequency rank
- 24648
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mat | mel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | casamento | substância doce, espessa e viscosa elaborada pelas abelhas nas colmeias |
Where the eye mixes mat and mel
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between mat and mel
A purely visual mix-up. mat (/mat/) and mel (/ˈmɛɫ/) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24648, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mat is recorded at frequency rank #21,805, classified as anoun, pronounced /mat/. mel is at rank #2,843, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɛɫ/.
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 24648, this pair ranks #44,902 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mat vs mel
Shared letters: m. Private to "mat": at. Private to "mel": el.
"mat" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "mel" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mat" for "mel" ever safe?
Which is more common, "mat" or "mel"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mat" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mel" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #44,902 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mat" and "mel" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maa vs mat". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #44,902 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.