Which to use
“nez” is a noun and “nn” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,827
- “nez” frequency rank
- #24,303
- “nn” frequency rank
- 26130
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nez | nn |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partie saillante du visage entre la bouche et le front couvrant l’organe communiquant avec les poumons permettant de sentir et de respirer. | Ne pas. |
Where the eye mixes nez and nn
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses nez with nn
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nez is \ne\ 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 (noun vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26130, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nez is recorded at frequency rank #1,827, classified as anoun, pronounced \ne\. 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 26130, this pair ranks #336,942 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nez vs nn
Shared letters: n. Private to "nez": ez. Private to "nn": -.
"nez" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nn" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nez" for "nn" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "nez" or "nn" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "nez" and "nn" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "nez" 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 #336,942 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nez" and "nn" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nn vs nop". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #336,942 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.