nebstbei

[neːpstˈbaɪ̯]

/[neːpstˈbaɪ̯]/ adv

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - während einer anderen (Haupt-)Handlung, wie zufällig (erwähnt)

Corpus desk

Index DE-nebstbei · nebstbei · German

nebstbei · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 nebstbei
PropertyValue
Headwordnebstbei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdverb
IPA[neːpstˈbaɪ̯]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „nebstbei“ im Deutschen

nebstbeiliegt 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

nebstbei is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed [neːpstˈbaɪ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "während einer anderen (Haupt-)Handlung, wie zufällig (erwähnt)".

nebstbei doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is nebstbei, spelled N-E-B-S-T-B-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    während einer anderen (Haupt-)Handlung, wie zufällig (erwähnt)

Synonyms

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 "nebstbei"?
"nebstbei" is spelled N-E-B-S-T-B-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [neːpstˈbaɪ̯].
What does "nebstbei" mean?
As an adverb, "nebstbei" means: während einer anderen (Haupt-)Handlung, wie zufällig (erwähnt)
How do you pronounce "nebstbei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nebstbei" is [neːpstˈbaɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nebstbei" come from?
"nebstbei" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list