nächstvsnächsterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“nächst” and “nächster” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#28,782
“nächst” frequency rank
#4,544
“nächster” frequency rank
33326
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nächst nächster
Definition in einer Reihenfolge nach dem aktuellen folgend Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs nah / nahe

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nächst and nächster apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
nächst
8 ch
nächster

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nächst ([nɛːçst]) and nächster ([ˈnɛːçstɐ]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “nächst” sits inside “nächster”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33326, 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]. nächster is at rank #4,544, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstɐ].

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 33326, this pair ranks #1,688,380 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nächst vs nächster

Shared letters: chnstä. Private to "nächst": -. Private to "nächster": er.

"nächst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "nächster" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC

Frequency comparison

nächst#28,782
nächster#4,544

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nächst" and "nächster" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([nɛːçst] versus [ˈnɛːçstɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nächst" or "nächster"?
"nächster" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,544 in our German list, against #28,782 for "nächst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nächst vs nächster

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 “nächst” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list