Which to use
“crème” and “crime” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,102
- “crème” frequency rank
- #20,211
- “crime” frequency rank
- 61313
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | crème | crime |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Rahm, Sahne | Verbrechen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set crème and crime apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. crème ([kʁɛm]) and crime ([kɹaɪm]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - è in “crème” becomes i in “crime”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61313, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
crème is recorded at frequency rank #41,102, classified as anoun, pronounced [kʁɛm]. crime is at rank #20,211, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɹaɪm].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 61313, this pair ranks #754,447 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of crème vs crime
Shared letters: cemr. Private to "crème": è. Private to "crime": i.
"crème" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "crime" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- crime ← ccrime · cirme · criem · crimme · crmie · crrime · rcime
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "crème" and "crime" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "crème" or "crime"?
Remembering crème vs crime
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “crème” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable