Which to use
“pai” is a noun and “pale” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #240
- “pai” frequency rank
- #45,514
- “pale” frequency rank
- 45754
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pai | pale |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | homem que tem filhos, naturais ou adotivos | pálido, claro, descorado |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pai and pale apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: pai is anoun and paleanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45754, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pai is recorded at frequency rank #240, classified as anoun. pale is at rank #45,514, tagged as anadj, pronounced /peIl/.
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 45754, this pair ranks #19,643 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pai vs pale
Shared letters: ap. Private to "pai": i. Private to "pale": el.
"pai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "pale" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- pale ← pael · palle · plae · ppale
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pai" and "pale" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pai" or "pale"?
Remembering pai vs pale
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “pai”; for an adjective, it's “pale”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pai” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable