Which to use
“fem” is a num and “fremd” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,170
- “fem” frequency rank
- #6,923
- “fremd” frequency rank
- 50093
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fem | fremd |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf | nicht bekannt, fremdartig |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fem and fremd apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fem is [fɛmˀ] while fremd is [fʁɛmt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 50093, 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]. fremd is at rank #6,923, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fʁɛmt].
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 50093, this pair ranks #1,186,899 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fem vs fremd
Shared letters: efm. Private to "fem": -. Private to "fremd": dr.
"fem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fremd" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- fremd ← fermd · ffremd · fredm · fremdd · fremmd · frmed · frremd · rfemd
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fem" and "fremd" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fem" or "fremd"?
Remembering fem vs fremd
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 “fremd”.
- 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