Which to use
“três” is a num and “tri” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #167
- “três” frequency rank
- #14,982
- “tri” frequency rank
- 15149
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | três | tri |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | número equivalente a dois mais um; cardinalidade de um conjunto que contenha dois elementos e outro elemento distinto; representado pelo símbolo 3 (algarismos arábicos) ou III (algarismos romanos) | muito bom, legal; trilegal |
Where the eye mixes três and tri
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: três vs tri
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: três is /ˈtɾeʃ/ while tri is /ˈtɾi/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15149, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
três is recorded at frequency rank #167, classified as anum, pronounced /ˈtɾeʃ/. tri is at rank #14,982, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈtɾi/.
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 15149, this pair ranks #56,751 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of três vs tri
Shared letters: rt. Private to "três": sê. Private to "tri": i.
"três" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "tri" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "três" for "tri" ever safe?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "três" or "tri" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "três" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tri" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #56,751 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "três" and "tri" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "til vs tri". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #56,751 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.