Quick answer
Ambiguidade leaves multiple readings open; equívoco is an incorrect reading, judgment, or act.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
ambiguidade
ambiguity
Use ambiguidade for wording or a situation that reasonably allows more than one interpretation.
equívoco
mistake or misunderstanding
Use equívoco for an incorrect judgment, interpretation, or action.
How to choose
- ambiguidade: Choose ambiguidade if the sentence points to wording or a situation that reasonably allows more than one interpretation.
- equívoco: Choose equívoco if the sentence points to an incorrect judgment, interpretation, or action.
Examples
A ambiguidade da cláusula gerou duas leituras.
The ambiguity of the clause produced two interpretations.
O pagamento duplicado foi um equívoco.
The duplicate payment was a mistake.
Common trap
Ambiguous wording may cause an equívoco, but the text’s ambiguity and the reader’s mistake are not the same thing.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with ambiguidade, then once with equívoco. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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