pagarvspautarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#809
“pagar” frequency rank
#28,712
“pautar” frequency rank
29521
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pagar pautar
Definition remunerar fazer pautas, traçar linhas em uma folha de papel

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
pagar
6 ch
pautar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

pagar and pautar form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29521, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pagar is recorded at frequency rank #809, classified as averb, pronounced /pɐ.ˈɡaɾ/. pautar is at rank #28,712, tagged as averb, pronounced /paw.ˈtaɾ/.

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 29521, this pair ranks #39,088 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

pagar#809
pautar#28,712

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pagar" and "pautar" be used interchangeably?
No, "pagar" and "pautar" 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 pagar vs pautar

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 “pagar” 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