Which to use
“NDR” is an abbrev and “nel” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,966
- “NDR” frequency rank
- #32,183
- “nel” frequency rank
- 40149
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | NDR | nel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Neue Deutsche Rechtschreibung | Verschmelzung der Präposition in mit dem bestimmten Artikel il |
Where the eye mixes NDR and nel
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: NDR vs nel
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: NDR is [ɛndeːˈʔɛʁ] while nel is [nel]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (abbrev vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40149, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
NDR is recorded at frequency rank #7,966, classified as anabbrev, pronounced [ɛndeːˈʔɛʁ]. nel is at rank #32,183, tagged as aprep, pronounced [nel].
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 40149, this pair ranks #1,516,695 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of NDR vs nel
Shared letters: n. Private to "NDR": dr. Private to "nel": el.
"NDR" · 3 letters · shape CCC · "nel" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "NDR" for "nel" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "NDR" or "nel" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "NDR" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "nel" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,516,695 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "NDR" and "nel" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nel vs nox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,516,695 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.