Nachtmahr

[ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯]

/[ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯]/ noun

The verdict

“Nachtmahr” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - ein Schreckgespenst, welches in einem Traum auftaucht (vergleiche das englische nightmare (Albtraum))

Corpus desk

Index DE-nachtmahr · Nachtmahr · German

Nachtmahr · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Nachtmahr
PropertyValue
HeadwordNachtmahr
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Nachtmahr“ im Deutschen

Nachtmahrliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Nachtmahr is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Nachtmahr, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Nachtmahr, spelled N-A-C-H-T-M-A-H-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Schreckgespenst, welches in einem Traum auftaucht (vergleiche das englische nightmare (Albtraum))
  2. 2
    ein Traum, der sehr unangenehm ist und Angst bereitet

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Nachtmahr appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Er kam mir vor wie ein Nachtmahr.
  2. „Wenn Hoffmann allein in seinem Arbeitszimmer ist, scheucht die Flamme der Kerzen im zitternden Wasser der Spiegel Gespenster und Nachtmahre auf.“

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nachtmahr"?
"Nachtmahr" is spelled N-A-C-H-T-M-A-H-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯].
What does "Nachtmahr" mean?
As a noun, "Nachtmahr" means: ein Schreckgespenst, welches in einem Traum auftaucht (vergleiche das englische nightmare (Albtraum))
How do you pronounce "Nachtmahr"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nachtmahr" is [ˈnaxtmaːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Nachtmahr" come from?
"Nachtmahr" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list