nächst vs nächstes, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#28,782
“nächst” frequency rank: #2,033
“nächstes” frequency rank: 30815
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	nächst	nächstes
Definition	in einer Reihenfolge nach dem aktuellen folgend	Nominativ Singular Neutrum Superlativ der starken Flexion des Adjektivs nah / nahe

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch

nächst

8 ch

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nächst ([nɛːçst]) and nächstes ([ˈnɛːçstəs]) 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 “nächstes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30815, 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]. nächstes is at rank #2,033, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstəs].

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 30815, this pair ranks #1,740,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nächst vs nächstes

Shared letters: chnstä. Private to "nächst": -. Private to "nächstes": e.

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

Frequency comparison

nächst#28,782

nächstes#2,033

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nächst" and "nächstes" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([nɛːçst] versus [ˈnɛːçstəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "nächst" or "nächstes"?

"nächstes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,033 in our German list, against #28,782 for "nächst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering nächst vs nächstes

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