Which to use
“mostra” is a noun and “mostrar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #772
- “mostra” frequency rank
- #712
- “mostrar” frequency rank
- 1484
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mostra | mostrar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | exemplo, espécime | fazer aparecer |
Where the eye mixes mostra and mostrar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. mostra runs 6 letters (CVCCCV) against mostrar's 7 (CVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses mostra with mostrar
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mostra is /ˈmɔʃ.tɾɐ/ while mostrar is /muʃ.ˈtɾaɾ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “mostra” sits inside “mostrar”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1484, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mostra is recorded at frequency rank #772, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɔʃ.tɾɐ/. mostrar is at rank #712, tagged as averb, pronounced /muʃ.ˈtɾaɾ/.
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 1484, this pair ranks #74,075 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mostra vs mostrar
Shared letters: amorst. Private to "mostra": -. Private to "mostrar": -.
"mostra" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "mostrar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mostra" for "mostrar" ever safe?
Which is more common, "mostra" or "mostrar"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "mostra" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mostrar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #74,075 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mostra" and "mostrar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "moderar vs mostrar". 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 #74,075 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.