Which to use
“fem” is a num and “fox” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,170
- “fem” frequency rank
- #6,658
- “fox” frequency rank
- 49828
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fem | fox |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf | der Fuchs |
Where the eye mixes fem and fox
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between fem and fox
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fem is [fɛmˀ] while fox is [fɒks]. 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 (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49828, 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]. fox is at rank #6,658, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɒks].
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 49828, this pair ranks #1,196,817 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fem vs fox
Shared letters: f. Private to "fem": em. Private to "fox": ox.
"fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fox" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fem" for "fox" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "fem" or "fox" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fox" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,196,817 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fem" and "fox" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fem vs firm". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,196,817 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.