merovsmesaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: mero is a adjective, mesa is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“mero” is an adjective and “mesa” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#12,105
“mero” frequency rank
#1,364
“mesa” frequency rank
13469
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mero mesa
Definition simples móvel usado como superfície para se alimentar, conversar, estudar; távola

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mero and mesa apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
mero
4 ch
mesa

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

mero and mesa form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mero is recorded at frequency rank #12,105, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈmɛ.ɾu/. mesa is at rank #1,364, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈme.zɐ/.

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 13469, this pair ranks #58,859 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

mero#12,105
mesa#1,364

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mero" and "mesa" be used interchangeably?
No, "mero" and "mesa" 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 mero vs mesa

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “mero”; for a noun, it's “mesa”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mero” 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