Which to use
“vai” is an adjective and “Vis” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #49
- “vai” frequency rank
- #21,333
- “Vis” frequency rank
- 21382
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vai | Vis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | relativo aos vais | um sobrenome |
Where the eye mixes vai and Vis
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between vai and Vis
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vai is /ˈvaj/ while Vis is /vɪs/ ouvir^(fonte ?). Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21382, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vai is recorded at frequency rank #49, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈvaj/. Vis is at rank #21,333, tagged as anoun, pronounced /vɪs/ ouvir^(fonte ?).
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 21382, this pair ranks #48,913 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of vai vs Vis
Shared letters: iv. Private to "vai": a. Private to "Vis": s.
"vai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "Vis" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vai" and "Vis" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "vai" or "Vis" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "vai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #48,913 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vai" and "Vis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vis vs visar". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #48,913 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.