Which to use
“nu” is an adjective and “num” is a particle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,177
- “nu” frequency rank
- #27,707
- “num” frequency rank
- 42884
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nu | num |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Desnudo. | Acaso, no es el caso que, no... acaso. |
Where the eye mixes nu and num
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: nu vs num
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nu is [ny] while num is [nũː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “nu” sits inside “num”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs particle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42884, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nu is recorded at frequency rank #15,177, classified as anadj, pronounced [ny]. 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 42884, this pair ranks #145,758 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nu vs num
Shared letters: nu. Private to "nu": -. Private to "num": m.
"nu" · 2 letters · shape CV · "num" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nu" for "num" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "nu" or "num" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "nu" 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 #145,758 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nu" and "num" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nox vs num". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #145,758 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.