Which to use
“fem” is a num and “frei” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,170
- “fem” frequency rank
- #544
- “frei” frequency rank
- 43714
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fem | frei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf | unabhängig, nicht gefangen, nicht versklavt |
Where the eye mixes fem and frei
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses fem with frei
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fem is [fɛmˀ] while frei is [fʁaɪ̯]. 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 (num vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43714, 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]. frei is at rank #544, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fʁaɪ̯].
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 43714, this pair ranks #1,409,238 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fem vs frei
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fem": m. Private to "frei": ir.
"fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "frei" · 4 letters · shape CCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- frei ← feri · ffrei · frie · frrei · rfei
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fem" for "frei" ever safe?
Which is more common, "fem" or "frei"?
What to do next
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 "frei" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,409,238 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fem" and "frei" 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 #1,409,238 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.