Which to use
“pêlo” and “pila” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,526
- “pêlo” frequency rank
- #15,424
- “pila” frequency rank
- 41950
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pêlo | pila |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | vide pelo | indivíduo inútil, vagabundo |
Where the eye mixes pêlo and pila
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. pêlo (/ˈpe.lu/) and pila (/ˈpi.lɐ/) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41950, 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/. pila is at rank #15,424, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈpi.lɐ/.
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 41950, this pair ranks #23,896 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pêlo vs pila
Shared letters: lp. Private to "pêlo": oê. Private to "pila": ai.
"pêlo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "pila" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- pila ← ipla · pial · pilla · plia · ppila
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pêlo" and "pila" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pêlo" or "pila"?
What to do next
You've compared "pêlo" and "pila". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "pêlo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pila" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #23,896 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pêlo" and "pila" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pêlo vs pilão". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.