numbervsnúmeroWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,801
“number” frequency rank
#266
“número” frequency rank
14067
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature number número
Definition número quantidade

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set number and número apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
number
6 ch
número

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. number (/ˈnʌm.bə/) and número (/'numeru/) 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 4 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14067, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

number is recorded at frequency rank #13,801, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈnʌm.bə/. número is at rank #266, tagged as anoun, pronounced /'numeru/.

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 14067, this pair ranks #58,114 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of number vs número

Shared letters: emnr. Private to "number": bu. Private to "número": .

"number" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "número" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • numbernmuber · nnumber · nubmer · numbber · numberr · numbre · numebr · nummber

Frequency comparison

number#13,801
número#266

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "number" and "número" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ˈnʌm.bə/ versus /'numeru/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "number" or "número"?
"número" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #266 in our Portuguese list, against #13,801 for "number". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering number vs número

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 “number” 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