Which to use
“tenho” is a verb and “tensão” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #90
- “tenho” frequency rank
- #2,913
- “tensão” frequency rank
- 3003
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tenho | tensão |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | primeira pessoa do singular do presente do indicativo do verbo ter | o ato ou efeito de esticar ou forçar algo ao seu limite |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tenho and tensão apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
tenho and tensão form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3003, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tenho is recorded at frequency rank #90, classified as averb. tensão is at rank #2,913, tagged as anoun, pronounced /tẽ.ˈsɐ.ɐ̃w̃/.
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 3003, this pair ranks #72,210 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tenho" and "tensão" be used interchangeably?
Remembering tenho vs tensão
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “tenho”; for a noun, it's “tensão”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tenho” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable