Which to use
“deu” is a num and “dew” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #30,509
- “deu” frequency rank
- #48,062
- “dew” frequency rank
- 78571
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | deu | dew |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zehn, die Kardinalzahl zwischen neun und elf | Niederschlag, durch Abkühlung (in Bodennähe) kondensierter Wasserdampf; Tau |
Where the eye mixes deu and dew
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. deu (CVV) and dew (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses deu with dew
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: deu is [dɛw] while dew is [djuː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - u in “deu” becomes w in “dew”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78571, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
deu is recorded at frequency rank #30,509, classified as anum, pronounced [dɛw]. dew is at rank #48,062, tagged as anoun, pronounced [djuː].
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 78571, this pair ranks #235,302 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of deu vs dew
Shared letters: de. Private to "deu": u. Private to "dew": w.
"deu" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "dew" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "deu" for "dew" ever safe?
Frequency check: "deu" vs "dew" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "deu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dew" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #235,302 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "deu" and "dew" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dew vs diet". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #235,302 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.