Which to use
“matar” and “mataria” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,053
- “matar” frequency rank
- #25,042
- “mataria” frequency rank
- 26095
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matar | mataria |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | causar morte, tirar a vida | primeira e terceira pessoa do singular do futuro do pretérito do verbo matar |
Where the eye mixes matar and mataria
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. matar runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against mataria's 7 (CVCVCVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses matar with mataria
A purely visual mix-up. matar (/mɐ.ˈtaɾ/) and mataria (/ma.ta.ˈɾi.ɐ/) 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 extra letter(s) - “matar” sits inside “mataria”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26095, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
matar is recorded at frequency rank #1,053, classified as averb, pronounced /mɐ.ˈtaɾ/. mataria is at rank #25,042, tagged as averb, pronounced /ma.ta.ˈɾi.ɐ/.
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 26095, this pair ranks #43,118 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of matar vs mataria
Shared letters: amrt. Private to "matar": -. Private to "mataria": i.
"matar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "mataria" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "matar" for "mataria" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "matar" or "mataria" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "matar" and "mataria" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "matar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mataria" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #43,118 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matar" and "mataria" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Maiara 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 #43,118 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.