nu

/ˈnu/

//ˈnu// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“nu” is a regularly-used Portuguese word, ranked #5,663 in Portuguese word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,663
frequency rank, Portuguese
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - despido, em pelo, sem roupas

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nu vs num
67% similar
nu vs nua
67% similar
nu vs nur
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nu
PropertyValue
Headwordnu
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈnu/
Letters2
Frequency rank#5,663
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nu” sits in Portuguese frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nu lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for nu is 2 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnu/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,663 in overall Portuguese word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for nu, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "num", "nua", "nur", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is nu, spelled N-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    despido, em pelo, sem roupas
  2. 2
    sem adornos
  3. 3
    desprovido do necessário
  4. 4
    direto, claro, franco
  5. 5
    retirado da bainha (espada, adaga)
  6. 6
    descoberto, à mostra, sem disfarces

Antonyms

vestido

This word in other languages

nude(English)desnudo(Español)nu(Français)bloß(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Portuguese corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nu"?
"nu" is spelled N-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnu/.
What does "nu" mean?
As an adjective, "nu" means: despido, em pelo, sem roupas
What words are commonly confused with "nu"?
"nu" is commonly confused with "num", "nua", "nur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nu" is /ˈnu/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nu" come from?
"nu" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “nu”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is N-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnu/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “num” - see the side-by-side comparison. nu vs num
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list