Which to use
“não” and “non” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11
- “não” frequency rank
- #6,793
- “non” frequency rank
- 6804
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | não | non |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | usado para negar verbos e adjetivos | não |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set não and non apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
não and non are indexed as a confusable Portuguese pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6804, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
não is recorded at frequency rank #11, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈnɐ̃w̃/. non is at rank #6,793, tagged as anadv.
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 6804, this pair ranks #67,527 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of não vs non
Shared letters: no. Private to "não": ã. Private to "non": -.
"não" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "non" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "não" and "non" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "não" or "non"?
Remembering não vs non
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 “não” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable