Which to use
“fein” and “fey” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,652
- “fein” frequency rank
- #43,868
- “fey” frequency rank
- 47520
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fein | fey |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dünn, feinkörnig, zart | (aus dem schottischen) todgeweiht |
Letter map: fein vs fey
Shared letters muted; letters that set fein and fey apart highlighted. Shared run: 2.
Pair insight - fein / fey
fein and fey are indexed as a confusable German pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47520, 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]. fey is at rank #43,868, tagged as anadj, pronounced […].
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 47520, this pair ranks #1,281,406 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fein vs fey
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fein": in. Private to "fey": y.
"fein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "fey" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- fein ← efin · feinn · feni · ffein · fien
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fein" for "fey" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fein" vs "fey" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "fein" and "fey".
- Full dictionary entry for "fein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fey" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,281,406 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fein" and "fey" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fey vs puzzles". 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 #1,281,406 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.