Which to use
“nem” is an adverb and “nua” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #121
- “nem” frequency rank
- #7,808
- “nua” frequency rank
- 7929
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nem | nua |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | não | feminino de nu |
Where the eye mixes nem and nua
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between nem and nua
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nem is /ˈnɐ̃j̃/ while nua is /ˈnu.ɐ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7929, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nem is recorded at frequency rank #121, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈnɐ̃j̃/. nua is at rank #7,808, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈnu.ɐ/.
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 7929, this pair ranks #66,035 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nem vs nua
Shared letters: n. Private to "nem": em. Private to "nua": au.
"nem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "nua" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nem" for "nua" ever safe?
Which is more common, "nem" or "nua"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "nem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nua" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #66,035 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nem" and "nua" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nua vs null". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #66,035 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.