Which to use
“tia” and “tom” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,401
- “tia” frequency rank
- #1,262
- “tom” frequency rank
- 3663
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tia | tom |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | irmã do pai | qualquer som, no que se refere à sua amplitude, fonte, potência, etc.: |
Where the eye mixes tia and tom
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: tia vs tom
A purely visual mix-up. tia (/ˈʧi.ɐ/) and tom (/ˈtõ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3663, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tia is recorded at frequency rank #2,401, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈʧi.ɐ/. tom is at rank #1,262, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈtõ/.
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 3663, this pair ranks #71,436 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tia vs tom
Shared letters: t. Private to "tia": ai. Private to "tom": mo.
"tia" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "tom" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tia" for "tom" ever safe?
Frequency check: "tia" vs "tom" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "tia" and "tom" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "tia" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tom" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #71,436 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tia" and "tom" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tia vs tosa". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #71,436 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.