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 spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set deu and dew apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
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
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "deu" and "dew" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "deu" or "dew"?
Remembering deu vs dew
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “deu”; for a noun, it's “dew”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “deu” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable