Which to use
“mean” and “mec” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,388
- “mean” frequency rank
- #8,225
- “mec” frequency rank
- 26613
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mean | mec |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | maldoso, mau, cruel | tranquilo |
Letter map: mean vs mec
Shared letters muted; letters that set mean and mec apart highlighted. Shared run: 2.
Corpus notes: mean and mec
mean 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 differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26613, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mean is recorded at frequency rank #18,388, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈmiːn/. 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 26613, this pair ranks #42,510 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mean vs mec
Shared letters: em. Private to "mean": an. Private to "mec": c.
"mean" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "mec" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- mean ← eman · maen · meann · mena · mmean
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "mean" and "mec" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "mean" vs "mec" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pair "mean" vs "mec" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "mean" 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 #42,510 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mean" and "mec" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maa vs mean". 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 #42,510 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.