Which to use
“matar” and “matem” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,053
- “matar” frequency rank
- #18,638
- “matem” frequency rank
- 19691
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matar | matem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | causar morte, tirar a vida | terceira pessoa do plural do presente do modo subjuntivo do verbo matar |
Where the eye mixes matar and matem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses matar with matem
A purely visual mix-up. matar (/mɐ.ˈtaɾ/) and matem (/ˈma.tẽɲ/) 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 19691, 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/. matem is at rank #18,638, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈma.tẽɲ/.
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 19691, this pair ranks #50,995 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of matar vs matem
Shared letters: amt. Private to "matar": r. Private to "matem": e.
"matar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "matem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "matar" and "matem" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "matar" vs "matem" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
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 "matem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #50,995 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matar" and "matem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "matem vs matiz". 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 #50,995 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.