Which to use
“mau” and “mec” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,936
- “mau” frequency rank
- #8,225
- “mec” frequency rank
- 10161
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mau | mec |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | que não é de boa qualidade, ruim | tranquilo |
Letter map: mau vs mec
Shared letters muted; letters that set mau and mec apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Spelling & dictionary notes on mau vs mec
mau and mec are indexed as a confusable Portuguese pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10161, 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/. mec is at rank #8,225, tagged as anadj.
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 10161, this pair ranks #63,040 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mau vs mec
Shared letters: m. Private to "mau": au. Private to "mec": ce.
"mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mec" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mau" and "mec" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mau" or "mec"?
Useful next steps
Pair "mau" vs "mec" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "mau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mec" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #63,040 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mau" and "mec" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maa vs mec". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #63,040 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.