Which to use
“Nerv” and “Nervus” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,139
- “Nerv” frequency rank
- #49,117
- “Nervus” frequency rank
- 61256
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Nerv | Nervus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Bündel aus Fortsätzen von Nervenzellen außerhalb des Zentralnervensystems | ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient |
Where the eye mixes Nerv and Nervus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Nerv runs 4 letters (CVCC) against Nervus's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Nerv vs Nervus
A purely visual mix-up. Nerv ([nɛʁf]) and Nervus ([ˈnɛʁvʊs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “Nerv” sits inside “Nervus”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61256, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Nerv is recorded at frequency rank #12,139, classified as anoun, pronounced [nɛʁf]. Nervus is at rank #49,117, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛʁvʊs].
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 61256, this pair ranks #756,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Nerv vs Nervus
Shared letters: enrv. Private to "Nerv": -. Private to "Nervus": su.
"Nerv" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "Nervus" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Nerv" and "Nervus" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Nerv" or "Nervus" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Nerv" and "Nervus" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Nerv" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Nervus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #756,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Nerv" and "Nervus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "nerve 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 #756,529 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.