Which to use
“matar” is a verb and “matas” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,053
- “matar” frequency rank
- #10,927
- “matas” frequency rank
- 11980
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matar | matas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | causar morte, tirar a vida | plural de mata |
Where the eye mixes matar and matas
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses matar with matas
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: matar is /mɐ.ˈtaɾ/ while matas is /ˈma.tɐʃ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - r in “matar” becomes s in “matas”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11980, 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/. matas is at rank #10,927, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈma.tɐʃ/.
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 11980, this pair ranks #60,732 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of matar vs matas
Shared letters: amt. Private to "matar": r. Private to "matas": s.
"matar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "matas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "matar" for "matas" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "matar" or "matas" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "matar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "matas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #60,732 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matar" and "matas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maa vs matas". 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 #60,732 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.