Which to use
“tão” is an adverb and “ten” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #119
- “tão” frequency rank
- #10,094
- “ten” frequency rank
- 10213
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tão | ten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | tanto, com tal intensidade | este, esta, esse, essa |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tão and ten apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter 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: tão is anadverb and tenapronoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10213, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tão is recorded at frequency rank #119, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈtɐ̃w̃/. ten is at rank #10,094, tagged as apron.
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 10213, this pair ranks #62,959 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tão vs ten
Shared letters: t. Private to "tão": oã. Private to "ten": en.
"tão" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "ten" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tão" and "ten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tão" or "ten"?
Remembering tão vs ten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “tão”; for a pronoun, it's “ten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tão” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable