DuftvsDusWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Duft” and “Dus” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#8,850
“Duft” frequency rank
#19,874
“Dus” frequency rank
28724
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Duft Dus
Definition ein angenehmer Geruch, der sich verbreitet oder ausgebracht wird; organische oder chemische Verbindung Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Du

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Duft and Dus apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Duft
3 ch
Dus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Duft and Dus form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28724, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Duft is recorded at frequency rank #8,850, classified as anoun, pronounced [dʊft]. Dus is at rank #19,874, tagged as anoun, pronounced [duːs].

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 28724, this pair ranks #1,779,714 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Duft#8,850
Dus#19,874

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Duft" and "Dus" be used interchangeably?
No, "Duft" and "Dus" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Duft vs Dus

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 “Duft” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list