Which to use
“Nichten” and “Nichts” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,354
- “Nichten” frequency rank
- #129
- “Nichts” frequency rank
- 35483
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Nichten | Nichts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Nichte | Ort, an dem nichts existiert, Raum, der leer ist |
Where the eye mixes Nichten and Nichts
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Nichten runs 7 letters (CVCCCVC) against Nichts's 6 (CVCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Nichten and Nichts
A purely visual mix-up. Nichten ([ˈnɪçtn̩]) and Nichts ([nɪçt͡s]) 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 35483, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Nichten is recorded at frequency rank #35,354, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɪçtn̩]. Nichts is at rank #129, tagged as anoun, pronounced [nɪçt͡s].
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 35483, this pair ranks #1,638,908 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Nichten vs Nichts
Shared letters: chint. Private to "Nichten": e. Private to "Nichts": s.
"Nichten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "Nichts" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Nichten" and "Nichts" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Nichten" or "Nichts" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Nichten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Nichts" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,638,908 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Nichten" and "Nichts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Nähten vs Nichten". 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 #1,638,908 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.