nahmvsnehmeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#936
“nahm” frequency rank
#1,674
“nehme” frequency rank
2610
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nahm nehme
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs nehmen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nehmen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nahm and nehme apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
nahm
5 ch
nehme

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nahm ([naːm]) and nehme ([ˈneːmə]) 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 2610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nahm is recorded at frequency rank #936, classified as averb, pronounced [naːm]. nehme is at rank #1,674, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈneːmə].

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 2610, this pair ranks #2,001,967 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nahm vs nehme

Shared letters: hmn. Private to "nahm": a. Private to "nehme": e.

"nahm" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "nehme" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nahmanhm · nahhm · nahmm · namh · nham · nnahm
  • nehmeenhme · nehem · nehhme · nehmme · nemhe · nheme · nnehme

Frequency comparison

nahm#936
nehme#1,674

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nahm" and "nehme" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([naːm] versus [ˈneːmə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nahm" or "nehme"?
"nahm" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #936 in our German list, against #1,674 for "nehme". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nahm vs nehme

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 “nahm” 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