Which to use
“tango” is a noun and “tengo” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,623
- “tango” frequency rank
- #46,588
- “tengo” frequency rank
- 60211
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tango | tengo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | estilo musical e dança a par; tem forma musical binária e compasso de dois por quatro; sua coreografia é complexa | primeira pessoa do singular do presente do indicativo do verbo tener |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tango and tengo apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: tango is anoun and tengoaverb. On the page they differ by a single letter - a in “tango” becomes e in “tengo”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60211, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tango is recorded at frequency rank #13,623, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈtɐ̃.ɡu/. tengo is at rank #46,588, tagged as averb.
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 60211, this pair ranks #7,773 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tango vs tengo
Shared letters: gnot. Private to "tango": a. Private to "tengo": e.
"tango" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "tengo" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tango" and "tengo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tango" or "tengo"?
Remembering tango vs tengo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “tango”; for a verb, it's “tengo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tango” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable