Which to use
“fein” is an adjective and “fem” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,652
- “fein” frequency rank
- #43,170
- “fem” frequency rank
- 46822
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fein | fem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dünn, feinkörnig, zart | fünf |
Where the eye mixes fein and fem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses fein with fem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fein is [faɪ̯n] while fem is [fɛmˀ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46822, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fein is recorded at frequency rank #3,652, classified as anadj, pronounced [faɪ̯n]. 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 46822, this pair ranks #1,305,756 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fein vs fem
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fein": in. Private to "fem": m.
"fein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- fein ← efin · feinn · feni · ffein · fien
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "fein" and "fem" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "fein" or "fem"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "fein" and "fem" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "fein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,305,756 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fein" and "fem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fem vs firm". 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 #1,305,756 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.