Which to use
“sã” is a noun and “são” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,153
- “sã” frequency rank
- #34
- “são” frequency rank
- 17187
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sã | são |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | tempo propício, adequado, para semear | saudável |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sã and são 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: sã is anoun and sãoanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “sã” sits inside “são”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17187, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sã is recorded at frequency rank #17,153, classified as anoun. são is at rank #34, tagged as anadj, pronounced /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 17187, this pair ranks #54,133 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sã vs são
Shared letters: sã. Private to "sã": -. Private to "são": o.
"sã" · 2 letters · shape CV · "são" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sã" and "são" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sã" or "são"?
Remembering sã vs são
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “sã”; for an adjective, it's “são”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sã” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable