Which to use
“matar” and “multar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,053
- “matar” frequency rank
- #44,987
- “multar” frequency rank
- 46040
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matar | multar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | causar morte, tirar a vida | multar |
Where the eye mixes matar and multar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses matar with multar
A purely visual mix-up. matar (/mɐ.ˈtaɾ/) and multar (/muɫ.ˈtaɾ/) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46040, 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/. multar is at rank #44,987, tagged as averb, pronounced /muɫ.ˈtaɾ/.
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 46040, this pair ranks #19,327 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of matar vs multar
Shared letters: amrt. Private to "matar": -. Private to "multar": lu.
"matar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "multar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "matar" and "multar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "matar" or "multar" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "matar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "multar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #19,327 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matar" and "multar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "muleta vs multar". 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 #19,327 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.