traçarvstraçoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: traçar is a verb, traço is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“traçar” is a verb and “traço” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#11,976
“traçar” frequency rank
#11,759
“traço” frequency rank
23735
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature traçar traço
Definition representar por meio de traços uma marca, sinal, ou evidência da existência, influência ou ação de algum agente ou evento; vestígio

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set traçar and traço apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
traçar
5 ch
traço

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: traçar is averb and traçoanoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23735, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

traçar is recorded at frequency rank #11,976, classified as averb, pronounced /tɾɐ.ˈsaɾ/. traço is at rank #11,759, tagged as anoun.

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 23735, this pair ranks #46,039 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of traçar vs traço

Shared letters: artç. Private to "traçar": -. Private to "traço": o.

"traçar" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "traço" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV

Frequency comparison

traçar#11,976
traço#11,759

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "traçar" and "traço" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "traçar" is a verb and "traço" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "traçar" or "traço"?
"traço" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,759 in our Portuguese list, against #11,976 for "traçar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering traçar vs traço

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “traçar”; for a noun, it's “traço”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “traçar” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list