Which to use
“nam” is a pronoun and “nei” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,396
- “nam” frequency rank
- #27,191
- “nei” frequency rank
- 45587
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nam | nei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | caso dativo do pronome pessoal my | negar |
Letter map: nam vs nei
Shared letters muted; letters that set nam and nei apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Grammar separator: nam vs nei
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: nam is apronoun and neiaverb. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nam is recorded at frequency rank #18,396, classified as apron. nei is at rank #27,191, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈnɛ.i/..
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 45587, this pair ranks #19,797 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nam vs nei
Shared letters: n. Private to "nam": am. Private to "nei": ei.
"nam" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nei" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nam" for "nei" ever safe?
Frequency check: "nam" vs "nei" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "nam" and "nei".
- Full dictionary entry for "nam" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nei" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #19,797 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nam" and "nei" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nami vs nei". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #19,797 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.