Which to use
“nn” is an adverb and “nu” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,935
- “nn” frequency rank
- #5,663
- “nu” frequency rank
- 43598
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nn | nu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | não | despido, em pelo, sem roupas |
Letter map: nn vs nu
Shared letters muted; letters that set nn and nu apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Role in the sentence - nn and nu
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: nn is anadverb and nuanadjective. On the page they differ by a single letter - n in “nn” becomes u in “nu”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nn is recorded at frequency rank #37,935, classified as anadv. nu is at rank #5,663, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈnu/.
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 43598, this pair ranks #22,025 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nn vs nu
Shared letters: n. Private to "nn": -. Private to "nu": u.
"nn" · 2 letters · shape CC · "nu" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "nn" and "nu" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "nn" or "nu" show up more?
Useful next steps
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "nn" and "nu".
- Full dictionary entry for "nn" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nu" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #22,025 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nn" and "nu" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nn vs noon". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #22,025 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.