nächstemvsnächstenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#44,828
“nächstem” frequency rank
#436
“nächsten” frequency rank
45264
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nächstem nächsten
Definition Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs nächst Superlativ Prädikativ des Adjektivs nah

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nächstem and nächsten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
nächstem
8 ch
nächsten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nächstem ([ˈnɛːçstəm]) and nächsten ([ˈnɛːçstən]) 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 a single letter - m in “nächstem” becomes n in “nächsten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45264, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nächstem is recorded at frequency rank #44,828, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstəm]. nächsten is at rank #436, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstən].

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 45264, this pair ranks #1,358,978 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of nächstem vs nächsten

Shared letters: cehnstä. Private to "nächstem": m. Private to "nächsten": -.

"nächstem" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC  ·  "nächsten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC

Frequency comparison

nächstem#44,828
nächsten#436

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nächstem" and "nächsten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnɛːçstəm] versus [ˈnɛːçstən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nächstem" or "nächsten"?
"nächsten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #436 in our German list, against #44,828 for "nächstem". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering nächstem vs nächsten

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 “nächstem” 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