medovsmesmoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“medo” and “mesmo” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#379
“medo” frequency rank
#56
“mesmo” frequency rank
435
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature medo mesmo
Definition que pertence ou se refere à Média que tem igualdade de caráter

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
medo
5 ch
mesmo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

medo and mesmo form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 435, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

medo is recorded at frequency rank #379, classified as anadj, pronounced AFI: /'me.du/. mesmo is at rank #56, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈmeʒ.mu/.

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 435, this pair ranks #75,216 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

medo#379
mesmo#56

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "medo" and "mesmo" be used interchangeably?
No, "medo" and "mesmo" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering medo vs mesmo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “medo” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list