Which to use
“nich” is a particle and “nine” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,760
- “nich” frequency rank
- #28,781
- “nine” frequency rank
- 32541
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nich | nine |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht | neun |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nich and nine apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nich is [nɪç] while nine is [naɪn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (particle vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32541, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nich is recorded at frequency rank #3,760, classified as aparticle, pronounced [nɪç]. nine is at rank #28,781, tagged as anum, pronounced [naɪn].
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 32541, this pair ranks #1,705,444 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nich vs nine
Shared letters: in. Private to "nich": ch. Private to "nine": e.
"nich" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "nine" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "nich" and "nine" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "nich" or "nine"?
Remembering nich vs nine
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a particle, it's “nich”; for a num, it's “nine”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable