Which to use
“pêlo” and “pião” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,526
- “pêlo” frequency rank
- #35,727
- “pião” frequency rank
- 62253
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pêlo | pião |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | vide pelo | brinquedo que consiste em puxar uma corda enrolada a um objeto afunilado, geralmente de madeira ou plástico e com uma ponta de ferro, colocando-o em rotação no solo, mantendo-se erguido |
Letter map: pêlo vs pião
Shared letters muted; letters that set pêlo and pião apart highlighted. Shared run: 2. pêlo (CVCV) and pião (CVVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Corpus notes: pêlo and pião
pêlo and pião are indexed as a confusable Portuguese pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62253, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pêlo is recorded at frequency rank #26,526, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpe.lu/. pião is at rank #35,727, tagged as anoun.
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 62253, this pair ranks #6,753 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of pêlo vs pião
Shared letters: op. Private to "pêlo": lê. Private to "pião": iã.
"pêlo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "pião" · 4 letters · shape CVVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pêlo" for "pião" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "pêlo" or "pião" show up more?
After this comparison
You've compared "pêlo" and "pião". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "pêlo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pião" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #6,753 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pêlo" and "pião" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pião vs pix". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #6,753 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.