nehmen

[ˈneːmən]

/[ˈneːmən]/ verb

The verdict

“nehmen” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #323 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#323
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - eine Sache greifen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nehmen vs neuen
67% similar
nehmen vs nehmt
67% similar
nehmen vs Nomen
50% similar

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

Key facts for nehmen
PropertyValue
Headwordnehmen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈneːmən]
Letters6
Frequency rank#323
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nehmen” 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). nehmen 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 nehmen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈneːmən]. Corpus data places it at rank #323 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for nehmen, with forms such as "enhmen", "nehemn", and "nehhmen". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "neuen", "nehmt", "Nomen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is nehmen, spelled N-E-H-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    eine Sache greifen
  2. 2
    etwas von einem Ort entfernen und in seinen Besitz bringen
  3. 3
    etwas aussuchen und es nutzen
  4. 4
    eine Vielzahl von charakteristischen Verbindungen, die eigene Bedeutungen haben

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enhmen,nehemn,nehhmen,nehmenn,nehmmen,nehmne,nemhen,nhemen,nnehmen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nehmen - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

enhmen2nehemn2nehhmen1nehmenn1nehmmen1nehmne2nemhen2nhemen2
Edit distance from "nehmen"

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 "nehmen"?
"nehmen" is spelled N-E-H-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈneːmən].
What does "nehmen" mean?
As a verb, "nehmen" means: eine Sache greifen
What words are commonly confused with "nehmen"?
"nehmen" is commonly confused with "neuen", "nehmt", "Nomen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nehmen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nehmen" is [ˈneːmən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nehmen" come from?
"nehmen" 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 “nehmen”

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

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