nennstvsnervstConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#12,352
“nennst” frequency rank
#47,613
“nervst” frequency rank
59965
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nennst nervst
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nennen 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nerven

Where the eye mixes nennst and nervst

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. nennst and nervst follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

6 ch
nennst
6 ch
nervst

Look-alike desk: nennst vs nervst

A purely visual mix-up. nennst ([nɛnst]) and nervst ([nɛʁfst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59965, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nennst is recorded at frequency rank #12,352, classified as averb, pronounced [nɛnst]. nervst is at rank #47,613, tagged as averb, pronounced [nɛʁfst].

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 59965, this pair ranks #804,737 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of nennst vs nervst

Shared letters: enst. Private to "nennst": -. Private to "nervst": rv.

"nennst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "nervst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nennst ← ennnst · nennsst · nennstt · nennts · nensnt · nenst · nnennst · nnenst
  • nervst ← enrvst · nerrvst · nersvt · nervsst · nervstt · nervts · nervvst · nevrst

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "nennst" for "nervst" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([nɛnst] versus [nɛʁfst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nennst" or "nervst"?
"nennst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,352 in our German list, against #47,613 for "nervst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "nennst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "nervst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #804,737 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "nennst" and "nervst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nervst vs Nervus". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #804,737 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list