Which to use
“déjà” is an adverb and “deu” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #44,541
- “déjà” frequency rank
- #30,509
- “deu” frequency rank
- 75050
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | déjà | deu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt als erwartet | zehn, die Kardinalzahl zwischen neun und elf |
Where the eye mixes déjà and deu
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. déjà runs 4 letters (CVCV) against deu's 3 (CVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: déjà vs deu
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: déjà is [de.ʒa] while deu is [dɛw]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75050, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
déjà is recorded at frequency rank #44,541, classified as anadv, pronounced [de.ʒa]. deu is at rank #30,509, tagged as anum, pronounced [dɛw].
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 75050, this pair ranks #317,722 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of déjà vs deu
Shared letters: d. Private to "déjà": jàé. Private to "deu": eu.
"déjà" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "deu" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "déjà" and "deu" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "déjà" vs "deu" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "déjà" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "deu" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #317,722 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "déjà" and "deu" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déjà vs dess". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #317,722 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.