Which to use
“nähen” and “nähern” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,452
- “nähen” frequency rank
- #10,146
- “nähern” frequency rank
- 23598
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nähen | nähern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Textilteile mit einem Faden verbinden | sich an etwas heranbewegen, näher herankommen an etwas |
Where the eye mixes nähen and nähern
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. nähen runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against nähern's 6 (CVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between nähen and nähern
A purely visual mix-up. nähen ([ˈnɛːən]) and nähern ([ˈnɛːɐn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nähen is recorded at frequency rank #13,452, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːən]. nähern is at rank #10,146, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐn].
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 23598, this pair ranks #1,859,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nähen vs nähern
Shared letters: ehnä. Private to "nähen": -. Private to "nähern": r.
"nähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "nähern" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nähen" for "nähern" ever safe?
Which is more common, "nähen" or "nähern"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "nähen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nähern" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,859,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nähen" and "nähern" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nagen vs nähen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,859,155 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.