Which to use
“nom” is a noun and “non” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #214
- “nom” frequency rank
- #82
- “non” frequency rank
- 296
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nom | non |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mot ou groupe de mots permettant de nommer un être ou une chose. Un nom peut être un nom commun, une locution nominale ou un nom propre. | Réponse négative. Il marque le désaccord sur une question affirmative et l’accord sur une question négative. |
Same sound, different letters: nom vs non
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 2 letters.
Homophone desk: nom vs non
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: nom and non carry the same recorded pronunciation, \nɔ̃\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other anadverb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by a single letter - m in “nom” becomes n in “non”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 296, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nom is recorded at frequency rank #214, classified as anoun, pronounced \nɔ̃\. non is at rank #82, tagged as anadv, pronounced \nɔ̃\.
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 296, this pair ranks #439,863 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nom vs non
Shared letters: no. Private to "nom": m. Private to "non": -.
"nom" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "non" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "nom" and "non" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "nom" or "non"?
After this comparison
You've separated the homophone pair "nom" / "non". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "nom" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "non" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #439,863 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nom" and "non" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nom vs nop". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #439,863 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.