Which to use
“nine” and “ninja” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,265
- “nine” frequency rank
- #12,205
- “ninja” frequency rank
- 40470
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nine | ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (radiotéléphonie) Mot de code radiotéléphonique de l'OACI, OTAN et SIA pour le chiffre 9. | Espion japonais. Dans les œuvres de fiction, ils et elles sont plus souvent représenté vêtu de noir, une cagoule masquant son visage, accomplissant des exploits physiques en combat, des acrobaties, et expert dans les techniques de diversion. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nine and ninja apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. nine (\ˈnai̯na\) and ninja (\nin.dʒa\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40470, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nine is recorded at frequency rank #28,265, classified as anoun, pronounced \ˈnai̯na\. ninja is at rank #12,205, tagged as anoun, pronounced \nin.dʒa\.
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 40470, this pair ranks #240,241 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nine vs ninja
Shared letters: in. Private to "nine": e. Private to "ninja": aj.
"nine" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "ninja" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nine" and "ninja" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nine" or "ninja"?
Remembering nine vs ninja
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nine” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable