Which to use
“nées” is an adjective and “nie” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,206
- “nées” frequency rank
- #8,277
- “nie” frequency rank
- 20483
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nées | nie |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de né. | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de nier. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nées and nie apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nées is \ne\ while nie is \ni\. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20483, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nées is recorded at frequency rank #12,206, classified as anadj, pronounced \ne\. nie is at rank #8,277, tagged as averb, pronounced \ni\.
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 20483, this pair ranks #368,060 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nées vs nie
Shared letters: en. Private to "nées": sé. Private to "nie": i.
"nées" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "nie" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nées" and "nie" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nées" or "nie"?
Remembering nées vs nie
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “nées”; for a verb, it's “nie”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nées” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable