matagalvsmataramWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: matagal is a noun, mataram is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“matagal” is a noun and “mataram” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#32,254
“matagal” frequency rank
#6,910
“mataram” frequency rank
39164
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature matagal mataram
Definition mato denso terceira pessoa do plural do pretérito perfeito do indicativo do verbo matar

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set matagal and mataram apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
matagal
7 ch
mataram

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: matagal is /mɐ.tɐ.ˈɡaɫ/ while mataram is [ma.ˈta.ɾɐ̃ʊ̃]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39164, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

matagal is recorded at frequency rank #32,254, classified as anoun, pronounced /mɐ.tɐ.ˈɡaɫ/. mataram is at rank #6,910, tagged as averb, pronounced [ma.ˈta.ɾɐ̃ʊ̃].

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 39164, this pair ranks #27,154 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of matagal vs mataram

Shared letters: amt. Private to "matagal": gl. Private to "mataram": r.

"matagal" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "mataram" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • matagalamtagal · maatgal · mataagl · matagall · mataggal · matagla · matgaal · mattagal
  • mataramamtaram · maatram · mataarm · mataramm · matarma · matarram · matraam · mattaram

Frequency comparison

matagal#32,254
mataram#6,910

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "matagal" and "mataram" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "matagal" is a noun and "mataram" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "matagal" or "mataram"?
"mataram" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,910 in our Portuguese list, against #32,254 for "matagal". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering matagal vs mataram

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “matagal”; for a verb, it's “mataram”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “matagal” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list