Which to use
“refeição” and “retenção” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,468
- “refeição” frequency rank
- #15,669
- “retenção” frequency rank
- 22137
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | refeição | retenção |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | porção de alimento consumido a certas horas do dia | ato de reter, guardar em seu poder algo que é de outra pessoa |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set refeição and retenção apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. refeição (/χe.fej.ˈsãw/) and retenção (/Rɨ.tẽ.ˈsɐ̃w̃/) 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 22137, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
refeição is recorded at frequency rank #6,468, classified as anoun, pronounced /χe.fej.ˈsãw/. retenção is at rank #15,669, tagged as anoun, pronounced /Rɨ.tẽ.ˈsɐ̃w̃/.
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 22137, this pair ranks #47,971 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of refeição vs retenção
Shared letters: eorãç. Private to "refeição": fi. Private to "retenção": nt.
"refeição" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVV · "retenção" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "refeição" and "retenção" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "refeição" or "retenção"?
Remembering refeição vs retenção
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “refeição” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable