Which to use
“qual” is a pronoun and “quão” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #125
- “qual” frequency rank
- #2,849
- “quão” frequency rank
- 2974
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | qual | quão |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | quem, que; o pronome qual enfatiza a eleição entre várias possibilidades | exprime intensidade: quanto, como |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set qual and quão 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: qual is apronoun and quãoanadverb. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2974, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
qual is recorded at frequency rank #125, classified as apron, pronounced /ˈkwaɫ/. quão is at rank #2,849, tagged as anadv.
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 2974, this pair ranks #72,243 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of qual vs quão
Shared letters: qu. Private to "qual": al. Private to "quão": oã.
"qual" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "quão" · 4 letters · shape CVVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- qual ← qaul · qqual · quall · qula · uqal
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "qual" and "quão" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "qual" or "quão"?
Remembering qual vs quão
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a pronoun, it's “qual”; for an adverb, it's “quão”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “qual” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable