Which to use
“nan” is an intj and “nn” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,862
- “nan” frequency rank
- #24,303
- “nn” frequency rank
- 28165
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nan | nn |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante de non (utilisé en tant que réponse à une question fermée ou un ordre). | Ne pas. |
Where the eye mixes nan and nn
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses nan with nn
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nan is \nɑ̃\ while nn is \ˈnon\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28165, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nan is recorded at frequency rank #3,862, classified as anintj, pronounced \nɑ̃\. nn is at rank #24,303, tagged as anadv, pronounced \ˈnon\.
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 28165, this pair ranks #324,503 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nan vs nn
Shared letters: n. Private to "nan": a. Private to "nn": -.
"nan" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nn" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "nan" and "nn" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "nan" vs "nn" - 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 "nan" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nn" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #324,503 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nan" and "nn" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nn vs nop". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #324,503 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.