Which to use
“qu” is a noun and “quis” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,802
- “qu” frequency rank
- #1,256
- “quis” frequency rank
- 8058
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | qu | quis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | cisne | primeira pessoa do singular do pretérito perfeito do indicativo do verbo querer |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set qu and quis apart are highlighted. They share 2 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: qu is [ɡu] while quis is /ˈkis/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “qu” sits inside “quis”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8058, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
qu is recorded at frequency rank #6,802, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡu]. quis is at rank #1,256, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈkis/.
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 8058, this pair ranks #65,858 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of qu vs quis
Shared letters: qu. Private to "qu": -. Private to "quis": is.
"qu" · 2 letters · shape CV · "quis" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- quis ← qius · qquis · quiss · qusi · uqis
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "qu" and "quis" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "qu" or "quis"?
Remembering qu vs quis
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “qu”; for a verb, it's “quis”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “qu” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable