dünnvsdünnemWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,934
“dünn” frequency rank
#42,439
“dünnem” frequency rank
48373
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dünn dünnem
Definition von geringer Dicke Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs dünn

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dünn and dünnem apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
dünn
6 ch
dünnem

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. dünn ([dʏn]) and dünnem ([ˈdʏnəm]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “dünn” sits inside “dünnem”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48373, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dünn is recorded at frequency rank #5,934, classified as anadj, pronounced [dʏn]. dünnem is at rank #42,439, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈdʏnəm].

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 48373, this pair ranks #1,250,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of dünn vs dünnem

Shared letters: dnü. Private to "dünn": -. Private to "dünnem": em.

"dünn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "dünnem" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

dünn#5,934
dünnem#42,439

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dünn" and "dünnem" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([dʏn] versus [ˈdʏnəm]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "dünn" or "dünnem"?
"dünn" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,934 in our German list, against #42,439 for "dünnem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering dünn vs dünnem

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 “dünn” 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