Not

[noːt]

/[noːt]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Not” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,779 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,779
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein Zustand des Mangels oder des Fehlens an Lebenswichtigem

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Not vs NS
33% similar
Not vs NT
33% similar
Not vs Np
33% similar

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

Key facts for Not
PropertyValue
HeadwordNot
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[noːt]
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,779
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Not” 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). Not 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 Not is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [noːt]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,779 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for Not in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NS", "NT", "Np", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

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 Not, spelled N-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Zustand des Mangels oder des Fehlens an Lebenswichtigem
  2. 2
    eine gefahrvolle, lebensbedrohliche Situation
  3. 3
    ein seelischer Zustand der Rat- und Hoffnungslosigkeit

Synonyms

LeidNotlageNotsituation

This word in other languages

need(English)necesidad(Español)misère(Français)necessidade(Português)

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 "Not"?
"Not" is spelled N-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is [noːt].
What does "Not" mean?
As a noun, "Not" means: ein Zustand des Mangels oder des Fehlens an Lebenswichtigem
What words are commonly confused with "Not"?
"Not" is commonly confused with "NS", "NT", "Np". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Not"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Not" is [noːt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Not" come from?
"Not" 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 “Not”

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

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