Which to use
“non” and “nun” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,501
- “non” frequency rank
- #37,753
- “nun” frequency rank
- 47254
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | non | nun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dícese del número no divisible por dos. | Decimocuarta letra del alfabeto hebreo |
Where the eye mixes non and nun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses non with nun
A purely visual mix-up. non ([ˈnõn]) and nun ([ˈnũn]) 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 a single letter - o in “non” becomes u in “nun”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47254, 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]. nun is at rank #37,753, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnũn].
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 47254, this pair ranks #121,082 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of non vs nun
Shared letters: n. Private to "non": o. Private to "nun": u.
"non" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "non" for "nun" ever safe?
Which is more common, "non" or "nun"?
After this comparison
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 "nun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #121,082 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "non" and "nun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nox vs nun". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #121,082 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.