Which to use
“nom” is a noun and “num” is a particle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,915
- “nom” frequency rank
- #27,707
- “num” frequency rank
- 46622
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nom | num |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nombre. | Acaso, no es el caso que, no... acaso. |
Where the eye mixes nom and num
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses nom with num
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nom is [ˈnom] while num is [nũː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - o in “nom” becomes u in “num”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs particle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46622, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nom is recorded at frequency rank #18,915, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnom]. num is at rank #27,707, tagged as aparticle, pronounced [nũː].
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 46622, this pair ranks #124,684 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nom vs num
Shared letters: mn. Private to "nom": o. Private to "num": u.
"nom" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "num" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nom" for "num" ever safe?
Which is more common, "nom" or "num"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "nom" and "num" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "nom" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "num" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #124,684 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nom" and "num" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nox vs num". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #124,684 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.