variávelvsviávelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“variável” and “viável” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#8,981
“variável” frequency rank
#10,293
“viável” frequency rank
19274
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature variável viável
Definition inconstante que pode ser percorrido

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set variável and viável apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
variável
6 ch
viável

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. variável (/vɐ.ˈɾja.vɛɫ/) and viável (/ˈvja.vɛɫ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19274, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

variável is recorded at frequency rank #8,981, classified as anadj, pronounced /vɐ.ˈɾja.vɛɫ/. viável is at rank #10,293, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈvja.vɛɫ/.

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 19274, this pair ranks #51,497 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of variável vs viável

Shared letters: eilvá. Private to "variável": ar. Private to "viável": -.

"variável" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC  ·  "viável" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Frequency comparison

variável#8,981
viável#10,293

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "variável" and "viável" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/vɐ.ˈɾja.vɛɫ/ versus /ˈvja.vɛɫ/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "variável" or "viável"?
"variável" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,981 in our Portuguese list, against #10,293 for "viável". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering variável vs viável

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “variável” 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