Which to use
“fähig” and “fair” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,300
- “fähig” frequency rank
- #3,310
- “fair” frequency rank
- 9610
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fähig | fair |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in der Lage, imstande (etwas zu tun); über die Möglichkeiten verfügend, etwas zu tun | den Regeln, Richtlinien entsprechend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fähig and fair apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. fähig ([ˈfɛːɪç]) and fair ([fɛːɐ̯]) 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 9610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fähig is recorded at frequency rank #6,300, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfɛːɪç]. fair is at rank #3,310, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛːɐ̯].
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 9610, this pair ranks #1,979,143 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fähig vs fair
Shared letters: fi. Private to "fähig": ghä. Private to "fair": ar.
"fähig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "fair" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- fair ← afir · fairr · fari · ffair · fiar
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fähig" and "fair" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fähig" or "fair"?
Remembering fähig vs fair
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 “fähig” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable