Which to use
“nächst” and “nächste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,782
- “nächst” frequency rank
- #721
- “nächste” frequency rank
- 29503
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nächst | nächste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in einer Reihenfolge nach dem aktuellen folgend | Nominativ Singular Femininum Superlativ der starken Flexion des Adjektivs nah / nahe |
Where the eye mixes nächst and nächste
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. nächst runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against nächste's 7 (CVCCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: nächst vs nächste
A purely visual mix-up. nächst ([nɛːçst]) and nächste ([ˈnɛːçstə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “nächst” sits inside “nächste”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29503, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nächst is recorded at frequency rank #28,782, classified as anadj, pronounced [nɛːçst]. nächste is at rank #721, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstə].
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 29503, this pair ranks #1,765,588 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nächst vs nächste
Shared letters: chnstä. Private to "nächst": -. Private to "nächste": e.
"nächst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "nächste" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nächst" and "nächste" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nächst" or "nächste"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "nächst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nächste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,765,588 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nächst" and "nächste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nächst vs nächstem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,765,588 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.