nach

[naːx]

/[naːx]/ prep

The verdict

“nach” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #35 in German word frequency and used as a preposition.

#35
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in Richtung (mit Dativ oder adverbialer Bestimmung des Ortes)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nach vs NC
0% similar
nach vs Nh
25% similar
nach vs nah
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nach
PropertyValue
Headwordnach
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[naːx]
Letters4
Frequency rank#35
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nach” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nach lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for nach is 4 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [naːx]. Corpus data places it at rank #35 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for nach, with forms such as "anch", "nacch", and "nachh". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NC", "Nh", "nah", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is nach, spelled N-A-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    in Richtung (mit Dativ oder adverbialer Bestimmung des Ortes)
  2. 2
    Hervorhebung des Ziels einer im Satz ausgedrückten Tätigkeit; mit Dativ
  3. 3
    Relation, bei der das mit nach referenzierte Bezugsobjekt zeitlich oder räumlich (in Bewegungsrichtung) vor dem Subjekt liegt; mit Dativ
  4. 4
    jemandes Zitat aufgreifen; mit Dativ

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anch,nacch,nachh,nahc,ncah,nnach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nach - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

anch2nacch1nachh1nahc2ncah2nnach1
Edit distance from "nach"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nach"?
"nach" is spelled N-A-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [naːx].
What does "nach" mean?
As a preposition, "nach" means: in Richtung (mit Dativ oder adverbialer Bestimmung des Ortes)
What words are commonly confused with "nach"?
"nach" is commonly confused with "NC", "Nh", "nah". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nach"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nach" is [naːx]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nach" come from?
"nach" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “nach”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is N-A-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [naːx] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “NC” - see the side-by-side comparison. nach vs NC
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list