Which to use
“nee” is a particle and “nut” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,609
- “nee” frequency rank
- #36,531
- “nut” frequency rank
- 40140
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nee | nut |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nein | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nuten |
Where the eye mixes nee and nut
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. nee (CVV) and nut (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses nee with nut
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nee is [neː] while nut is [nuːt]. 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 (particle vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nee is recorded at frequency rank #3,609, classified as aparticle, pronounced [neː]. nut is at rank #36,531, tagged as averb, pronounced [nuːt].
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 40140, this pair ranks #1,516,991 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nee vs nut
Shared letters: n. Private to "nee": e. Private to "nut": tu.
"nee" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "nut" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nee" for "nut" ever safe?
Frequency check: "nee" vs "nut" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "nee" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nut" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,516,991 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nee" and "nut" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nox vs nut". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,516,991 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.