Which to use
“za” is a preposition and “zu” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,595
- “za” frequency rank
- #39,935
- “zu” frequency rank
- 77530
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | za | zu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | durante | fechado |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set za and zu apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
za and zu form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - a in “za” becomes u in “zu” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77530, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
za is recorded at frequency rank #37,595, classified as aprep, pronounced /ˈza/ ouvir^(fonte ?). zu is at rank #39,935, tagged as anadj, pronounced /t͡suː/.
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 77530, this pair ranks #1,860 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "za" and "zu" be used interchangeably?
Remembering za vs zu
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a preposition, it's “za”; for an adjective, it's “zu”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “za” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable