Which to use
“DDR” is a name and “dem” is a determiner - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,350
- “DDR” frequency rank
- #22
- “dem” frequency rank
- 1372
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | DDR | dem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Kurzwort für Deutsche Demokratische Republik | [1] Dativ Singular des definiten Artikels der |
Where the eye mixes DDR and dem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: DDR vs dem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: DDR is [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ] while dem is [deːm]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs determiner), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1372, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
DDR is recorded at frequency rank #1,350, classified as aname, pronounced [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]. dem is at rank #22, tagged as adet, pronounced [deːm].
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 1372, this pair ranks #2,004,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of DDR vs dem
Shared letters: d. Private to "DDR": r. Private to "dem": em.
"DDR" · 3 letters · shape CCC · "dem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "DDR" for "dem" ever safe?
Frequency check: "DDR" vs "dem" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "DDR" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,004,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "DDR" and "dem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "DDR vs dörr". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,004,467 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.