Which to use
“tengo” is a verb and “terno” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,588
- “tengo” frequency rank
- #11,363
- “terno” frequency rank
- 57951
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tengo | terno |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | primeira pessoa do singular do presente do indicativo do verbo tener | tenro |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tengo and terno 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: tengo is averb and ternoanadjective. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57951, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tengo is recorded at frequency rank #46,588, classified as averb. terno is at rank #11,363, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈtɛɾ.nu/.
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 57951, this pair ranks #9,024 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tengo vs terno
Shared letters: enot. Private to "tengo": g. Private to "terno": r.
"tengo" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "terno" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tengo" and "terno" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tengo" or "terno"?
Remembering tengo vs terno
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “tengo”; for an adjective, it's “terno”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tengo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable