Which to use
“subtil” and “sutil” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,344
- “subtil” frequency rank
- #11,356
- “sutil” frequency rank
- 51700
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | subtil | sutil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | tênue, fino | subtil |
Letter map: subtil vs sutil
Shared letters muted; letters that set subtil and sutil apart highlighted. Shared run: 5.
Pair insight - subtil / sutil
subtil and sutil are indexed as a confusable Portuguese pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51700, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
subtil is recorded at frequency rank #40,344, classified as anadj, pronounced /sub.ˈtiɫ/. sutil is at rank #11,356, tagged as anadj.
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 51700, this pair ranks #13,388 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of subtil vs sutil
Shared letters: ilstu. Private to "subtil": b. Private to "sutil": -.
"subtil" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "sutil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "subtil" and "sutil" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "subtil" vs "sutil" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "subtil" and "sutil".
- Full dictionary entry for "subtil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sutil" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #13,388 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "subtil" and "sutil" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "subtil vs sutiã". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #13,388 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.