nennvsNennerWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#9,064
“nenn” frequency rank
#21,007
“Nenner” frequency rank
30071
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nenn Nenner
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nennen im gemeinen Bruch die Zahl (oder der algebraische Ausdruck) unter dem Bruchstrich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nenn and Nenner apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
nenn
6 ch
Nenner

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nenn is [nɛn] while Nenner is [ˈnɛnɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “nenn” sits inside “Nenner”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30071, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nenn is recorded at frequency rank #9,064, classified as averb, pronounced [nɛn]. Nenner is at rank #21,007, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛnɐ].

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 30071, this pair ranks #1,754,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nenn vs Nenner

Shared letters: en. Private to "nenn": -. Private to "Nenner": r.

"nenn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Nenner" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nennennn · nnen · nnenn
  • Nennerennner · nenenr · nener · nennerr · nennre · nnener · nnenner

Frequency comparison

nenn#9,064
Nenner#21,007

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nenn" and "Nenner" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "nenn" is a verb and "Nenner" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "nenn" or "Nenner"?
"nenn" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,064 in our German list, against #21,007 for "Nenner". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nenn vs Nenner

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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