NächtevsNächtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,335
“Nächte” frequency rank
#17,664
“Nächten” frequency rank
23999
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Nächte Nächten
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Nacht Dativ Plural des Substantivs Nacht

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Nächte
7 ch
Nächten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Nächte ([ˈnɛçtə]) and Nächten ([ˈnɛçtn̩]) 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) - “Nächte” sits inside “Nächten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Nächte is recorded at frequency rank #6,335, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛçtə]. Nächten is at rank #17,664, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛçtn̩].

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 23999, this pair ranks #1,853,686 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Nächte vs Nächten

Shared letters: cehntä. Private to "Nächte": -. Private to "Nächten": -.

"Nächte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV  ·  "Nächten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Frequency comparison

Nächte#6,335
Nächten#17,664

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Nächte" and "Nächten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnɛçtə] versus [ˈnɛçtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Nächte" or "Nächten"?
"Nächte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,335 in our German list, against #17,664 for "Nächten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Nächte vs Nächten

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 “Nächte” 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