nämlich

[ˈnɛːmlɪç]

/[ˈnɛːmlɪç]/ adj

The verdict

“nämlich” has 11 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #689. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#689
frequency rank, German
1,954
“N” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - der-, die-, dasselbe

Corpus desk

Index DE-namlich · nämlich · German

nämlich · rank #689 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-CORE #689
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,954
  • PHOTO-FINISH new

Nearest frequency peer: new (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “nämlich”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “nämlich” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nämlich vs neulich
71% similar

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

Key facts for nämlich
PropertyValue
Headwordnämlich
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈnɛːmlɪç]
Letters7
Frequency rank#689
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nämlich” 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). nämlich lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around nämlich (IPA [ˈnɛːmlɪç]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #689 among 1,954 “N” headwords. Dominant gloss: "der-, die-, dasselbe".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for nämlich, with forms such as "nmälich", "nnämlich", and "nälmich". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "neulich", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is nämlich, spelled N-Ä-M-L-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    der-, die-, dasselbe

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Die Zeitung kommt jeden Morgen zur nämlichen Zeit.
  2. „Von da tauchen sie [die Flüsse] nun wieder unter die Erde und, teils längere und mehrere Gegenden durchziehend, teils wenigere und kürzere, ergießen sie sich alle wieder in den Tartaros, einige viel weiter unten, als wo sie ausgepumpt wurden, andere nicht so viel, aber unterhalb ihres Ausflusses fließen sie alle ein; und einige strömen wieder aus, gerade…

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nmälich
  • nnämlich
  • nälmich
  • nämilch
  • nämlcih
  • nämlicch
  • nämlichh
  • nämlihc
  • nämllich
  • nämmlich
  • änmlich

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nmälich2nnämlich1nälmich2nämilch2nämlcih2nämlicch1nämlichh1nämlihc2
Edit distance from "nämlich"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nämlich"?
"nämlich" is spelled N-Ä-M-L-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnɛːmlɪç].
What does "nämlich" mean?
As an adjective, "nämlich" means: der-, die-, dasselbe
What words are commonly confused with "nämlich"?
"nämlich" is commonly confused with "neulich". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nämlich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nämlich" is [ˈnɛːmlɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nämlich" come from?
"nämlich" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "nämlich", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

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