fazvsfemWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: faz is a verb, fem is a num, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“faz” is a verb and “fem” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#7,043
“faz” frequency rank
#43,170
“fem” frequency rank
50213
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature faz fem
Definition 3. Person Singular Präsens Indikativ des Verbs fazer fünf

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set faz and fem apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
faz
3 ch
fem

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: faz is [fa(j)s] while fem is [fɛmˀ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50213, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

faz is recorded at frequency rank #7,043, classified as averb, pronounced [fa(j)s]. fem is at rank #43,170, tagged as anum, pronounced [fɛmˀ].

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 50213, this pair ranks #1,182,275 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of faz vs fem

Shared letters: f. Private to "faz": az. Private to "fem": em.

"faz" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

faz#7,043
fem#43,170

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "faz" and "fem" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "faz" is a verb and "fem" a num, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "faz" or "fem"?
"faz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,043 in our German list, against #43,170 for "fem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering faz vs fem

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “faz”; for a num, it's “fem”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “faz” 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