Nichts

[nɪçt͡s]

/[nɪçt͡s]/ noun

The verdict

“Nichts” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #129 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#129
frequency rank, German
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ort, an dem nichts existiert, Raum, der leer ist

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Nichts vs night
50% similar
Nichts vs nickt
50% similar
Nichts vs nickte
50% similar

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

Key facts for Nichts
PropertyValue
HeadwordNichts
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[nɪçt͡s]
Letters6
Frequency rank#129
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nichts” 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). Nichts 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 Nichts is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [nɪçt͡s]. Corpus data places it at rank #129 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Nichts, with forms such as "inchts", "ncihts", and "nicchts". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "night", "nickt", "nickte", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Nichts, spelled N-I-C-H-T-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ort, an dem nichts existiert, Raum, der leer ist
  2. 2
    Gegenteil von Sein
  3. 3
    jemand ohne Rang und Ansehen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inchts,ncihts,nicchts,nichhts,nichst,nichtss,nichtts,nicths,nihcts,nnichts

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Nichts - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inchts2ncihts2nicchts1nichhts1nichst2nichtss1nichtts1nicths2
Edit distance from "Nichts"

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 "Nichts"?
"Nichts" is spelled N-I-C-H-T-S. The IPA pronunciation is [nɪçt͡s].
What does "Nichts" mean?
As a noun, "Nichts" means: Ort, an dem nichts existiert, Raum, der leer ist
What words are commonly confused with "Nichts"?
"Nichts" is commonly confused with "night", "nickt", "nickte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Nichts"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nichts" is [nɪçt͡s]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Nichts" come from?
"Nichts" 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 “Nichts”

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

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