Which to use
“mau” and “mor” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,936
- “mau” frequency rank
- #6,447
- “mor” frequency rank
- 8383
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mau | mor |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | que não é de boa qualidade, ruim | maior |
Where the eye mixes mau and mor
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between mau and mor
A purely visual mix-up. mau (/ˈmaw/) and mor (/ˈmɔh/ (carioca)) 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 8383, 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/. mor is at rank #6,447, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈmɔh/ (carioca).
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 8383, this pair ranks #65,409 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mau vs mor
Shared letters: m. Private to "mau": au. Private to "mor": or.
"mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mor" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mau" for "mor" ever safe?
Which is more common, "mau" or "mor"?
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 "mau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mor" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #65,409 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mau" and "mor" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maa vs mor". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #65,409 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.