Deutsch homophones
wau/wow
"wow" (#1,685 written frequency) beats "wau" (#39,137) in this 2-word /vaʊ̯/ cluster. Size rank #38 of 483 German groups.
Data vintage
Frequency splits the cluster
These 2 spellings keep the same /vaʊ̯/ reading, but written frequency splits them hard: "wow" leads at #1,685, with "wau" trailing at #39,137.
Spelling pairs in this cluster
- No shared spelling stem: "wau" is 3 letters, "wow" is 3; only the sound ties them.
Orthographic DNA of this cluster
Shared letters across wau, wow: w. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.
wau
3 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVV
Inventory auw · private au
wow
3 letters · 1 vowels · shape CVC
Inventory ow · private o
Pick the spelling from the meaning
- Write "wau" when you mean: Laut, der beim Bellen eines Hundes entsteht
- Write "wow" when you mean: Ausdruck des Erstaunens