Which to use
“nés” is an adjective and “nez” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,785
- “nés” frequency rank
- #1,827
- “nez” frequency rank
- 6612
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nés | nez |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de né. | Partie saillante du visage entre la bouche et le front couvrant l’organe communiquant avec les poumons permettant de sentir et de respirer. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nés and nez apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: nés and nez carry the same recorded pronunciation, \ne\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6612, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nés is recorded at frequency rank #4,785, classified as anadj, pronounced \ne\. nez is at rank #1,827, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ne\.
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 6612, this pair ranks #425,752 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nés vs nez
Shared letters: n. Private to "nés": sé. Private to "nez": ez.
"nés" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nez" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nés" and "nez" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nés" or "nez"?
Remembering nés vs nez
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “nés”; for a noun, it's “nez”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nés” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable