nene

/ˈneɪneɪ/

//ˈneɪneɪ// noun

"nene" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nene” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,341. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,341
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nene · nene · English

nene · rank #33,341 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,341
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH naturalization

Nearest frequency peer: naturalization (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “nene”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “nene” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nene vs NN
0% similar
nene vs new
50% similar
nene vs non
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nene
PropertyValue
Headwordnene
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈneɪneɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#33,341
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nene”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).nenelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “naturalization” (#33,340), “nerf” (#33,342), “numbness” (#33,344). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nene” is #33,341. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around nene (IPA /ˈneɪneɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,341 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for nene, with forms such as "enne", "neen", and "nenne". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NN", "new", "non", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Hawaiian nēnē, which is imitative of the bird’s call. The correct English form is nene, spelled N-E-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how nene appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ohelo Vaccinium reticulatum (and V. peleanum) and kukaenene Coprosma ernodeoides […] are the most important berries in the Nenes’ diet, and it is probably from such juicy fruit that much of their water intake comes.
  2. Today, both wild and domestic dogs are a serious threat to Hawai‘i's native wildlife. The dogs prey on both seabirds and open country birds, especially the Hawaiian goose, nēnē. However, feral dogs aren't all bad, because one of their favorite foods is rats.

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian nēnē, which is imitative of the bird’s call.

Synonyms

Hawaiian goosenēnē goose

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enne
  • neen
  • nenne
  • nnee
  • nnene

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nene - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

enne2neen2nenne1nnee2nnene1
Edit distance from "nene"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nene"?
"nene" is spelled N-E-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈneɪneɪ/.
What does "nene" mean?
As a noun, "nene" means: The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
What words are commonly confused with "nene"?
"nene" is commonly confused with "NN", "new", "non". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nene"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nene" is /ˈneɪneɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "nene"?
Borrowed from Hawaiian nēnē, which is imitative of the bird’s call. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "nene", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list