Which to use
“non” is a noun and “num” is a particle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,501
- “non” frequency rank
- #27,707
- “num” frequency rank
- 37208
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | non | num |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dícese del número no divisible por dos. | Acaso, no es el caso que, no... acaso. |
Where the eye mixes non and num
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: non vs num
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: non is [ˈnõn] while num is [nũː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs particle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37208, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
non is recorded at frequency rank #9,501, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnõn]. 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 37208, this pair ranks #176,541 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of non vs num
Shared letters: n. Private to "non": o. Private to "num": mu.
"non" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "num" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "non" and "num" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "non" vs "num" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "non" 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 #176,541 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "non" and "num" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nox vs num". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #176,541 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.