Which to use
“nu” is an adjective and “nun” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,663
- “nu” frequency rank
- #39,280
- “nun” frequency rank
- 44943
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nu | nun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | despido, em pelo, sem roupas | agora, neste momento: |
Where the eye mixes nu and nun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: nu vs nun
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nu is /ˈnu/ while nun is /ˈnuːn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “nu” sits inside “nun”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44943, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nu is recorded at frequency rank #5,663, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈnu/. nun is at rank #39,280, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˈnuːn/.
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 44943, this pair ranks #20,484 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nu vs nun
Shared letters: nu. Private to "nu": -. Private to "nun": -.
"nu" · 2 letters · shape CV · "nun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nu" for "nun" ever safe?
Frequency check: "nu" vs "nun" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "nu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #20,484 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nu" and "nun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "noon vs nun". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #20,484 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.