Which to use
“sal” and “som” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,168
- “sal” frequency rank
- #1,134
- “som” frequency rank
- 4302
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sal | som |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | condimento composto principalmente por cloreto de sódio (NaCl) | onda longitudinal transmitida pela matéria e que podemos ouvir (geralmente entre 20Hz e 20kHz): |
Where the eye mixes sal and som
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between sal and som
A purely visual mix-up. sal (/saw/) and som (/ˈsõ/) 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 4302, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sal is recorded at frequency rank #3,168, classified as anoun, pronounced /saw/. som is at rank #1,134, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈsõ/.
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 4302, this pair ranks #70,650 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of sal vs som
Shared letters: s. Private to "sal": al. Private to "som": mo.
"sal" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "som" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sal" for "som" ever safe?
Which is more common, "sal" or "som"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "som" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #70,650 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sal" and "som" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sal vs soap". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #70,650 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.