# next

> English word · Adjective · IPA /nɛkst/ · frequency rank #190

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

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **NT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nt)
- **not** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-not)
- **nut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nut)
- **NYT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nyt)
- **nit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nit)
- **nix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nix)
- **nox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nox)
- **Nyx** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nyx)
- **ney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-ney)
- **NPT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-npt)
- **NIST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nist)
- **nexus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/next-vs-nexus)
- **ne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ne-vs-next)
- **new** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/new-vs-next)
- **net** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/net-vs-next)
- **Nat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nat-vs-next)
- **ned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ned-vs-next)
- **NEC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nec-vs-next)
- **NES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nes-vs-next)
- **nee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nee-vs-next)

## Common misspellings (6)
`enxt`, `netx`, `nextt`, `nexxt`, `nnext`, `nxet`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/next