Which to use
“NB” is a phrase and “non” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,908
- “NB” frequency rank
- #515
- “non” frequency rank
- 18423
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | NB | non |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Initialism of nota bene; used in written English to introduce something to be noted. | Obsolete form of none. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set NB and non apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
NB and non form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18423, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
NB is recorded at frequency rank #17,908, classified as aphrase. non is at rank #515, tagged as anadv, pronounced /nɑn/.
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 18423, this pair ranks #444,990 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "NB" and "non" be used interchangeably?
Remembering NB vs non
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a phrase, it's “NB”; for an adverb, it's “non”.
- 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