next

/nɛkst/

//nɛkst// adj

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

"next" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“next” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #190. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#190
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.

Corpus desk

Index EN-next · next · English

next · rank #190 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #190
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH again

Nearest frequency peer: again (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “next”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “next” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

next vs NT
0% similar
next vs not
50% similar
next vs nut
50% similar

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

Key facts for next
PropertyValue
Headwordnext
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/nɛkst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#190
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “next”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).nextlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “again” (#189), “each” (#191), “school” (#188). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “next” is #190. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around next (IPA /nɛkst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #190 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for next, with forms such as "enxt", "netx", and "nextt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NT", "not", "nut", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nexte, nexste, nixte, from Old English nīehsta, nīehste, etc., inflected forms of nīehst (“nearest, next”), superlative form of nēah (“nigh”) (the comparative would become near), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“nearest, closes… The correct English form is next, spelled N-E-X-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.
  2. 2
    Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.
  3. 3
    Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order.
  4. 4
    Nearest in relationship. (See also next of kin.)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The man in the next bunk kept me awake all night with his snoring.
  2. She lives a mile or two away, in the next village.

Etymology

From Middle English nexte, nexste, nixte, from Old English nīehsta, nīehste, etc., inflected forms of nīehst (“nearest, next”), superlative form of nēah (“nigh”) (the comparative would become near), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“nearest, closest”); equivalent to nigh + -est. Cognate with Saterland Frisian naist (“next”), Dutch naast (“next to”), German nächster (“next”), Yiddish נעקסט (nekst, “next”), Danish næste (“next”), Elfdalian nest (“by, near”), Icelandic næst (“next”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk neste (“next”), Swedish näst, nästa (“next”), Persian نزد (nazd, “near, with”). Compare typologically Latin proximus (“nearest, next”).

Synonyms

subsequent

Antonyms

previous

This word in other languages

siguiente(Español)prochain(Français)nächster(Deutsch)próximo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enxt
  • netx
  • nextt
  • nexxt
  • nnext
  • nxet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enxt2netx2nextt1nexxt1nnext1nxet2
Edit distance from "next"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "next"?
"next" is spelled N-E-X-T. The IPA pronunciation is /nɛkst/.
What does "next" mean?
As an adjective, "next" means: Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.
What words are commonly confused with "next"?
"next" is commonly confused with "NT", "not", "nut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "next"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "next" is /nɛkst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "next"?
From Middle English nexte, nexste, nixte, from Old English nīehsta, nīehste, etc., inflected forms of nīehst (“nearest, next”), superlative form of nēah (“nigh”) (the comparative would become near), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“neare... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

each#191give#185I've#183game#182

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

again6 variantshouse6 variantsmust6 variantsshow6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list