Which to use
“fem” is a num and “fey” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,170
- “fem” frequency rank
- #43,868
- “fey” frequency rank
- 87038
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fem | fey |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf | (aus dem schottischen) todgeweiht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fem and fey apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: fem is anum and feyanadjective. On the page they differ by a single letter - m in “fem” becomes y in “fey”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 87038, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fem is recorded at frequency rank #43,170, classified as anum, pronounced [fɛmˀ]. 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 87038, this pair ranks #85,535 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fem vs fey
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fem": m. Private to "fey": y.
"fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fey" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fem" and "fey" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fem" or "fey"?
Remembering fem vs fey
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “fem”; for an adjective, it's “fey”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fem” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable