Which to use
“missão” and “míssil” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #965
- “missão” frequency rank
- #14,193
- “míssil” frequency rank
- 15158
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | missão | míssil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | função ou poder que se confere a alguém para agir | projétil guiado dotado de autopropulsão |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set missão and míssil apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. missão (/mi.ˈsɐ̃w̃/) and míssil (/ˈmi.siɫ/) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15158, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
missão is recorded at frequency rank #965, classified as anoun, pronounced /mi.ˈsɐ̃w̃/. míssil is at rank #14,193, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmi.siɫ/.
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 15158, this pair ranks #56,744 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of missão vs míssil
Shared letters: ims. Private to "missão": oã. Private to "míssil": lí.
"missão" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV · "míssil" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "missão" and "míssil" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "missão" or "míssil"?
Remembering missão vs míssil
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 “missão” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable