Which to use
“fein” and “fin” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,652
- “fein” frequency rank
- #19,906
- “fin” frequency rank
- 23558
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fein | fin |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dünn, feinkörnig, zart | fein, dünn |
Where the eye mixes fein and fin
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between fein and fin
A purely visual mix-up. fein ([faɪ̯n]) and fin ([ˌfiːn]) 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 23558, 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]. fin is at rank #19,906, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˌfiːn].
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 23558, this pair ranks #1,859,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fein vs fin
Shared letters: fin. Private to "fein": e. Private to "fin": -.
"fein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "fin" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- fein ← efin · feinn · feni · ffein · fien
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fein" for "fin" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fein" vs "fin" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "fein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fin" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,859,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fein" and "fin" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fin vs fist". 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 #1,859,716 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.