Which to use
“nähen” and “nähren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,452
- “nähen” frequency rank
- #35,361
- “nähren” frequency rank
- 48813
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nähen | nähren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Textilteile mit einem Faden verbinden | etwas wachsen und mehr oder bedeutender werden lassen |
Where the eye mixes nähen and nähren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. nähen runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against nähren's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: nähen vs nähren
A purely visual mix-up. nähen ([ˈnɛːən]) and nähren ([ˈnɛːʁən]) 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 48813, 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]. nähren is at rank #35,361, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːʁən].
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 48813, this pair ranks #1,234,696 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of nähen vs nähren
Shared letters: ehnä. Private to "nähen": -. Private to "nähren": r.
"nähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "nähren" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nähen" and "nähren" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nähen" or "nähren"?
Useful next steps
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 "nähren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,234,696 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nähen" and "nähren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nagen vs nähren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,234,696 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.