Which to use
“nic” is a pronoun and “non” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #33,733
- “nic” frequency rank
- #5,204
- “non” frequency rank
- 38937
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nic | non |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nichts | nicht |
Letter map: nic vs non
Shared letters muted; letters that set nic and non apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Grammar separator: nic vs non
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: nic is apronoun and nonanadverb. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38937, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nic is recorded at frequency rank #33,733, classified as apron, pronounced [ɲit͡s]. non is at rank #5,204, tagged as anadv, pronounced […].
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 38937, this pair ranks #1,550,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nic vs non
Shared letters: n. Private to "nic": ci. Private to "non": o.
"nic" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "non" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nic" and "non" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nic" or "non"?
After this comparison
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "nic" and "non".
- Full dictionary entry for "nic" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "non" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,550,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nic" and "non" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nic vs nox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,550,603 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.