Which to use
“näherte” and “näherten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,083
- “näherte” frequency rank
- #41,368
- “näherten” frequency rank
- 63451
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | näherte | näherten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs nähern | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs nähern |
Where the eye mixes näherte and näherten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. näherte runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against näherten's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses näherte with näherten
A purely visual mix-up. näherte ([ˈnɛːɐtə]) and näherten ([ˈnɛːɐtn̩]) 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) - “näherte” sits inside “näherten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63451, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
näherte is recorded at frequency rank #22,083, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐtə]. näherten is at rank #41,368, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐtn̩].
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 63451, this pair ranks #676,391 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of näherte vs näherten
Shared letters: ehnrtä. Private to "näherte": -. Private to "näherten": -.
"näherte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "näherten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "näherte" and "näherten" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "näherte" or "näherten" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "näherte" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "näherten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #676,391 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "näherte" and "näherten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "näherten vs nähren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #676,391 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.