Which to use
“nichtig” is an adjective and “Nichts” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #21,369
- “nichtig” frequency rank
- #129
- “Nichts” frequency rank
- 21498
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | nichtig | Nichts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | unbedeutend, bedeutungslos | Ort, an dem nichts existiert, Raum, der leer ist |
Where the eye mixes nichtig and Nichts
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. nichtig 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.
Why the eye confuses nichtig with Nichts
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nichtig is [ˈnɪçtɪç] while Nichts is [nɪçt͡s]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21498, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
nichtig is recorded at frequency rank #21,369, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɪçtɪç]. 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 21498, this pair ranks #1,885,573 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of nichtig vs Nichts
Shared letters: chint. Private to "nichtig": g. Private to "Nichts": s.
"nichtig" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "Nichts" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "nichtig" for "Nichts" ever safe?
Which is more common, "nichtig" or "Nichts"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "nichtig" 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 #1,885,573 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "nichtig" and "Nichts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Nichten vs nichtig". 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 #1,885,573 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.