NervusvsNexusWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#49,117
“Nervus” frequency rank
#19,323
“Nexus” frequency rank
68440
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Nervus Nexus
Definition ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient Verbindung, Verkettung, Zusammenhang

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Nervus
5 ch
Nexus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Nervus ([ˈnɛʁvʊs]) and Nexus ([ˈnɛksʊs]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68440, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Nervus is recorded at frequency rank #49,117, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛʁvʊs]. Nexus is at rank #19,323, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛksʊs].

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 68440, this pair ranks #507,702 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Nervus vs Nexus

Shared letters: ensu. Private to "Nervus": rv. Private to "Nexus": x.

"Nervus" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Nexus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Nervusenrvus · nerrvus · neruvs · nervsu · nervuss · nervvus · nevrus · nnervus
  • Nexusenxus · neuxs · nexsu · nexuss · nexxus · nnexus · nxeus

Frequency comparison

Nervus#49,117
Nexus#19,323

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Nervus" and "Nexus" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈnɛʁvʊs] versus [ˈnɛksʊs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Nervus" or "Nexus"?
"Nexus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,323 in our German list, against #49,117 for "Nervus". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Nervus vs Nexus

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Nervus” 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