Which to use
“não” and “no” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,506
- “não” frequency rank
- #9
- “no” frequency rank
- 41515
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | não | no |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | No. | Adverbio de negación, respondiendo a una pregunta. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set não and no apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. não ([nɐ̃w]) and no ([ˈno]) 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 41515, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
não is recorded at frequency rank #41,506, classified as anadv, pronounced [nɐ̃w]. no is at rank #9, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈno].
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 41515, this pair ranks #153,229 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of não vs no
Shared letters: no. Private to "não": ã. Private to "no": -.
"não" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "no" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "não" and "no" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "não" or "no"?
Remembering não vs no
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 “não” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable