Which to use
“obter” is a verb and “ontem” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,442
- “obter” frequency rank
- #525
- “ontem” frequency rank
- 1967
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obter | ontem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | alcançar o que se desejava ou pedia | no dia anterior ao de hoje |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obter and ontem apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: obter is /ɔ.bˈteɾ/ while ontem is /ˈõ.tɐ̃j̃/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1967, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obter is recorded at frequency rank #1,442, classified as averb, pronounced /ɔ.bˈteɾ/. ontem is at rank #525, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˈõ.tɐ̃j̃/.
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 1967, this pair ranks #73,539 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of obter vs ontem
Shared letters: eot. Private to "obter": br. Private to "ontem": mn.
"obter" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "ontem" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obter" and "ontem" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obter" or "ontem"?
Remembering obter vs ontem
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “obter”; for an adverb, it's “ontem”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “obter” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable