NB vs nbsp, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“NB” is a phrase and “nbsp” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,908
“NB” frequency rank: #25,856
“nbsp” frequency rank: 43764
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	NB	nbsp
Definition	Initialism of nota bene; used in written English to introduce something to be noted.	Initialism of non-breaking space.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set NB and nbsp apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

2 ch

4 ch

nbsp

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: NB is aphrase and nbspanoun. On the page they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “NB” sits inside “nbsp”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43764, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

NB is recorded at frequency rank #17,908, classified as aphrase. nbsp is at rank #25,856, tagged as anoun.

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 43764, this pair ranks #236,923 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of NB vs nbsp

Shared letters: bn. Private to "NB": -. Private to "nbsp": ps.

"NB" · 2 letters · shape CC · "nbsp" · 4 letters · shape CCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

nbsp ← bnsp · nbbsp · nbps · nbspp · nbssp · nnbsp · nsbp

Frequency comparison

NB#17,908

nbsp#25,856

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "NB" and "nbsp" be used interchangeably?

No - they are not even the same part of speech. "NB" is a phrase and "nbsp" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.

Which is more common, "NB" or "nbsp"?

"NB" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,908 in our English list, against #25,856 for "nbsp". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering NB vs nbsp

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Check the role first: if you need a phrase, it's “NB”; for a noun, it's “nbsp”.
See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “NB” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable