Which to use
“mau” is an adjective and “mayo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,936
- “mau” frequency rank
- #30,251
- “mayo” frequency rank
- 32187
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mau | mayo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | que não é de boa qualidade, ruim | maio |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mau and mayo apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mau is /ˈmaw/ while mayo is /ˈma.ʝo/. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32187, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mau is recorded at frequency rank #1,936, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈmaw/. mayo is at rank #30,251, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈma.ʝo/.
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 32187, this pair ranks #35,705 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mau vs mayo
Shared letters: am. Private to "mau": u. Private to "mayo": oy.
"mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mayo" · 4 letters · shape CVVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- mayo ← amyo · maoy · mayyo · mmayo · myao
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mau" and "mayo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mau" or "mayo"?
Remembering mau vs mayo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “mau”; for a noun, it's “mayo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mau” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable