Which to use
“Efeu” and “ewe” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,090
- “Efeu” frequency rank
- #34,085
- “ewe” frequency rank
- 82175
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Efeu | ewe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Araliengewächse (Araliaceae) | Ramme, weibliches Schaf, Mutterschaf |
Where the eye mixes Efeu and ewe
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Efeu runs 4 letters (VCVV) against ewe's 3 (VCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Efeu with ewe
A purely visual mix-up. Efeu ([ˈeːfɔɪ̯]) and ewe ([juː]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 82175, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Efeu is recorded at frequency rank #48,090, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈeːfɔɪ̯]. ewe is at rank #34,085, tagged as anoun, pronounced [juː].
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 82175, this pair ranks #161,996 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Efeu vs ewe
Shared letters: e. Private to "Efeu": fu. Private to "ewe": w.
"Efeu" · 4 letters · shape VCVV · "ewe" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Efeu ← eefu · effeu · efue · feeu
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Efeu" for "ewe" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Efeu" or "ewe" show up more?
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 "Efeu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ewe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #161,996 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Efeu" and "ewe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Efeu vs Elfe". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #161,996 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.