names

[neɪmz]

/[neɪmz]/ verb

The verdict

“names” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #36,515 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#36,515
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs name

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

names vs nas
60% similar
names vs nes
60% similar
names vs Nase
40% similar

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

Key facts for names
PropertyValue
Headwordnames
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[neɪmz]
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,515
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “names” 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). names 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 names is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [neɪmz]. Corpus data places it at rank #36,515 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs name".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for names, with forms such as "anmes", "naems", and "namess". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "nas", "nes", "Nase", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is names, spelled N-A-M-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs name

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anmes,naems,namess,nammes,namse,nmaes,nnames

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anmes2naems2namess1nammes1namse2nmaes2nnames1
Edit distance from "names"

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 "names"?
"names" is spelled N-A-M-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is [neɪmz].
What does "names" mean?
As a verb, "names" means: 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs name
What words are commonly confused with "names"?
"names" is commonly confused with "nas", "nes", "Nase". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "names"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "names" is [neɪmz]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "names" come from?
"names" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “names”

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

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