Which to use
“matam” and “matarem” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,546
- “matam” frequency rank
- #32,255
- “matarem” frequency rank
- 39801
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matam | matarem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | terceira pessoa do plural do presente do indicativo do verbo matar | terceira pessoa do plural do futuro do modo subjuntivo do verbo matar |
Where the eye mixes matam and matarem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. matam runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against matarem's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between matam and matarem
A purely visual mix-up. matam (/ˈma.tɐ̃ʊm/) and matarem (/ma.ˈta.ɾẽɲ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39801, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
matam is recorded at frequency rank #7,546, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈma.tɐ̃ʊm/. matarem is at rank #32,255, tagged as averb, pronounced /ma.ˈta.ɾẽɲ/.
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 39801, this pair ranks #26,401 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of matam vs matarem
Shared letters: amt. Private to "matam": -. Private to "matarem": er.
"matam" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "matarem" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "matam" and "matarem" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "matam" vs "matarem" - which ranks higher?
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 "matam" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "matarem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #26,401 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matam" and "matarem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "matarem vs mataria". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #26,401 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.