Which to use
“nep” and “nis” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,538
- “nep” frequency rank
- #33,760
- “nis” frequency rank
- 79298
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nep | nis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Catmint, catnip; Nepeta cataria. | A nix; a hobgoblin, especially one that resides in a farm house. |
Letter map: nep vs nis
Shared letters muted; letters that set nep and nis apart highlighted. Shared run: 1. nep and nis follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Corpus notes: nep and nis
nep and nis are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 79298, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nep is recorded at frequency rank #45,538, classified as anoun, pronounced /nɛp/. nis is at rank #33,760, 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 79298, this pair ranks #22,454 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of nep vs nis
Shared letters: n. Private to "nep": ep. Private to "nis": is.
"nep" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nis" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nep" and "nis" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "nep" or "nis" show up more?
What to do next
Pair "nep" vs "nis" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "nep" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #22,454 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nep" and "nis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nep vs NPL". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #22,454 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.