NonnenvsNonsensWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Nonnen” and “Nonsens” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#18,000
“Nonnen” frequency rank
#45,484
“Nonsens” frequency rank
63484
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Nonnen Nonsens
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Nonne etwas Sinnloses; Quatsch

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Nonnen and Nonsens apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Nonnen
7 ch
Nonsens

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Nonnen ([ˈnɔnən]) and Nonsens ([ˈnɔnzɛns]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63484, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Nonnen is recorded at frequency rank #18,000, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɔnən]. Nonsens is at rank #45,484, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɔnzɛns].

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 63484, this pair ranks #675,154 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Nonnen vs Nonsens

Shared letters: eno. Private to "Nonnen": -. Private to "Nonsens": s.

"Nonnen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Nonsens" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Nonnennnonen · nnonnen · nonenn · nonnenn · nonnne · onnnen
  • Nonsensnnonsens · nnosens · nonesns · nonnsens · nonsenns · nonsenss · nonsesn · nonsnes

Frequency comparison

Nonnen#18,000
Nonsens#45,484

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Nonnen" and "Nonsens" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnɔnən] versus [ˈnɔnzɛns]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Nonnen" or "Nonsens"?
"Nonnen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,000 in our German list, against #45,484 for "Nonsens". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Nonnen vs Nonsens

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Nonnen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list