Which to use
“nähren” is a verb and “Nahrung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #35,361
- “nähren” frequency rank
- #4,541
- “Nahrung” frequency rank
- 39902
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nähren | Nahrung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas wachsen und mehr oder bedeutender werden lassen | ess- und trinkbare Stoffe, die Lebewesen zu sich nehmen, um den Organismus aufzubauen und gesund zu halten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nähren and Nahrung apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: nähren is [ˈnɛːʁən] while Nahrung is [ˈnaːʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39902, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nähren is recorded at frequency rank #35,361, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈnɛːʁən]. Nahrung is at rank #4,541, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnaːʁʊŋ].
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 39902, this pair ranks #1,523,659 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nähren vs Nahrung
Shared letters: hnr. Private to "nähren": eä. Private to "Nahrung": agu.
"nähren" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Nahrung" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Nahrung ← anhrung · nahhrung · nahrnug · nahrrung · nahrugn · nahrungg · nahrunng · nahurng
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nähren" and "Nahrung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nähren" or "Nahrung"?
Remembering nähren vs Nahrung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “nähren”; for a noun, it's “Nahrung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nähren” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable