neivsnomWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: nei is a verb, nom is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“nei” is a verb and “nom” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#38,309
“nei” frequency rank
#22,082
“nom” frequency rank
60391
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nei nom
Definition verneinen, negieren, abstreiten Name

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nei and nom apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
nei
3 ch
nom

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: nei is averb and nomanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60391, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nei is recorded at frequency rank #38,309, classified as averb, pronounced […]. nom is at rank #22,082, tagged as anoun, pronounced [nɔ̃].

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 60391, this pair ranks #788,747 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of nei vs nom

Shared letters: n. Private to "nei": ei. Private to "nom": mo.

"nei" · 3 letters · shape CVV  ·  "nom" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

nei#38,309
nom#22,082

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nei" and "nom" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "nei" is a verb and "nom" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "nei" or "nom"?
"nom" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,082 in our German list, against #38,309 for "nei". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nei vs nom

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “nei”; for a noun, it's “nom”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nei” 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