matemvsmoteWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: matem is a verb, mote is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“matem” is a verb and “mote” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#18,638
“matem” frequency rank
#18,928
“mote” frequency rank
37566
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature matem mote
Definition terceira pessoa do plural do presente do modo subjuntivo do verbo matar partícula de pó

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set matem and mote apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
matem
4 ch
mote

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: matem is /ˈma.tẽɲ/ while mote is /moʊt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37566, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

matem is recorded at frequency rank #18,638, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈma.tẽɲ/. mote is at rank #18,928, tagged as anoun, pronounced /moʊt/.

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 37566, this pair ranks #29,022 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of matem vs mote

Shared letters: emt. Private to "matem": a. Private to "mote": o.

"matem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "mote" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • matemamtem · maetm · matemm · matme · mattem · mmatem · mtaem
  • motemmote · moet · motte · mtoe · omte

Frequency comparison

matem#18,638
mote#18,928

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "matem" and "mote" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "matem" is a verb and "mote" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "matem" or "mote"?
"matem" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,638 in our Portuguese list, against #18,928 for "mote". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering matem vs mote

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “matem”; for a noun, it's “mote”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “matem” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list