nimmvsnineWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: nimm is a verb, nine is a num, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“nimm” is a verb and “nine” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,916
“nimm” frequency rank
#28,781
“nine” frequency rank
31697
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nimm nine
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nehmen neun

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nimm and nine apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
nimm
4 ch
nine

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nimm is [nɪm] 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 (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31697, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nimm is recorded at frequency rank #2,916, classified as averb, pronounced [nɪm]. 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 31697, this pair ranks #1,722,942 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nimm vs nine

Shared letters: in. Private to "nimm": m. Private to "nine": e.

"nimm" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "nine" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nimminmm · nim · nmim · nnimm
  • nineinne · ninne · nnie · nnine

Frequency comparison

nimm#2,916
nine#28,781

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nimm" and "nine" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "nimm" is a verb and "nine" a num, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "nimm" or "nine"?
"nimm" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,916 in our German list, against #28,781 for "nine". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nimm vs nine

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “nimm”; for a num, it's “nine”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nimm” 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