nachgehen

[ˈnaːxˌɡeːən]

/[ˈnaːxˌɡeːən]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“nachgehen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #12,135 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,135
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem folgen, hinter jemandem hergehen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nachgehen vs nachgeht
78% similar
nachgehen vs nachlesen
78% similar
nachgehen vs nachsehen
89% similar

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

Key facts for nachgehen
PropertyValue
Headwordnachgehen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈnaːxˌɡeːən]
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,135
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nachgehen” 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). nachgehen 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 nachgehen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈnaːxˌɡeːən]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,135 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for nachgehen, with forms such as "anchgehen", "nacchgehen", and "nacghehen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "nachgeht", "nachlesen", "nachsehen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is nachgehen, spelled N-A-C-H-G-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandem folgen, hinter jemandem hergehen
  2. 2
    genauere Nachforschungen über etwas betreiben (Gegenstand der Nachforschung im Dativ)
  3. 3
    eine falsche, bereits verstrichene Uhrzeit anzeigen
  4. 4
    sich regelmäßig intensiv mit etwas beschäftigen (Gegenstand der Beschäftigung im Dativ, siehe Charakteristische Wortkombinationen)
  5. 5
    jemanden beschäftigen, jemanden umtreiben, jemanden nicht loslassen

Synonyms

folgenhinterhergehenrecherchierennachforschenüberprüfenwidmen

Antonyms

vorgehenvorausgehenvorgehenrichtig

This word in other languages

follow(English)seguir(Español)suivre(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anchgehen,nacchgehen,nacghehen,nacheghen,nachgeehn,nachgehenn,nachgehhen,nachgehne,nachggehen,nachgheen,nachhgehen,nahcgehen,ncahgehen,nnachgehen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nachgehen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

anchgehen2nacchgehen1nacghehen2nacheghen2nachgeehn2nachgehenn1nachgehhen1nachgehne2
Edit distance from "nachgehen"

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 "nachgehen"?
"nachgehen" is spelled N-A-C-H-G-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnaːxˌɡeːən].
What does "nachgehen" mean?
As a verb, "nachgehen" means: jemandem folgen, hinter jemandem hergehen
What words are commonly confused with "nachgehen"?
"nachgehen" is commonly confused with "nachgeht", "nachlesen", "nachsehen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nachgehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nachgehen" is [ˈnaːxˌɡeːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nachgehen" come from?
"nachgehen" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “nachgehen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is N-A-C-H-G-E-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈnaːxˌɡeːən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “nachgeht” - see the side-by-side comparison. nachgehen vs nachgeht
  • 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