nähertenvsnährenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#41,368
“näherten” frequency rank
#35,361
“nähren” frequency rank
76729
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature näherten nähren
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs nähern etwas wachsen und mehr oder bedeutender werden lassen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
näherten
6 ch
nähren

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. näherten ([ˈnɛːɐtn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 76729, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

näherten is recorded at frequency rank #41,368, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːɐtn̩]. 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 76729, this pair ranks #277,075 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of näherten vs nähren

Shared letters: ehnrä. Private to "näherten": t. Private to "nähren": -.

"näherten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "nähren" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

näherten#41,368
nähren#35,361

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "näherten" and "nähren" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnɛːɐtn̩] versus [ˈnɛːʁən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "näherten" or "nähren"?
"nähren" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,361 in our German list, against #41,368 for "näherten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering näherten vs nähren

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 “näherten” 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