Which to use
“pes” is a noun and “pires” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,445
- “pes” frequency rank
- #5,985
- “pires” frequency rank
- 29430
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pes | pires |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | cão | barato, ordinário, pretensioso, reles, vulgar |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pes and pires 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: pes is /ˈpɛs ouvir^(fonte ?) while pires is /ˈpi.ɾɨʃ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29430, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pes is recorded at frequency rank #23,445, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɛs ouvir^(fonte ?). pires is at rank #5,985, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈpi.ɾɨʃ/.
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 29430, this pair ranks #39,200 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pes vs pires
Shared letters: eps. Private to "pes": -. Private to "pires": ir.
"pes" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "pires" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- pires ← ipres · piers · piress · pirres · pirse · ppires · pries
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pes" and "pires" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pes" or "pires"?
Remembering pes vs pires
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “pes”; for an adjective, it's “pires”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pes” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable