Which to use
“näher” is an unknown and “nähert” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,564
- “näher” frequency rank
- #10,533
- “nähert” frequency rank
- 12097
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | näher | nähert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Komparativ von nah | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nähern |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set näher and nähert apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: näher is [ˈnɛːɐ] while nähert is [ˈnɛːɐt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “näher” sits inside “nähert”, and the parts of speech differ too (unknown vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12097, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
näher is recorded at frequency rank #1,564, classified as anunknown, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐ]. nähert is at rank #10,533, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐt].
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 12097, this pair ranks #1,966,196 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of näher vs nähert
Shared letters: ehnrä. Private to "näher": -. Private to "nähert": t.
"näher" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "nähert" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "näher" and "nähert" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "näher" or "nähert"?
Remembering näher vs nähert
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an unknown, it's “näher”; for a verb, it's “nähert”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “näher” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable