Which to use
“nen” and “nox” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #820
- “nen” frequency rank
- #46,886
- “nox” frequency rank
- 47706
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nen | nox |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Geruchs- und Atmungsorgan in der Mitte des Gesichts; Nase | die Nacht |
Where the eye mixes nen and nox
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between nen and nox
A purely visual mix-up. nen ([nɛ̃]) and nox ([nɔks]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47706, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nen is recorded at frequency rank #820, classified as anoun, pronounced [nɛ̃]. nox is at rank #46,886, tagged as anoun, pronounced [nɔks].
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 47706, this pair ranks #1,274,956 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nen vs nox
Shared letters: n. Private to "nen": e. Private to "nox": ox.
"nen" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nox" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nen" for "nox" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "nen" or "nox" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "nen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nox" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,274,956 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nen" and "nox" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "node vs nox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,274,956 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.