Which to use
“Fieber” and “Freier” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,828
- “Fieber” frequency rank
- #3,443
- “Freier” frequency rank
- 9271
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Fieber | Freier |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Erhöhung der Körpertemperatur im Krankheitsfall; Schutzreaktion des Körpers, um Krankheitserreger abzutöten | Mann, der eine Frau umwirbt, um sie zu heiraten |
Where the eye mixes Fieber and Freier
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Fieber (CVVCVC) and Freier (CCVVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Fieber with Freier
A purely visual mix-up. Fieber ([ˈfiːbɐ]) and Freier ([ˈfʁaɪ̯ɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9271, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Fieber is recorded at frequency rank #5,828, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfiːbɐ]. Freier is at rank #3,443, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfʁaɪ̯ɐ].
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 9271, this pair ranks #1,980,718 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Fieber vs Freier
Shared letters: efir. Private to "Fieber": b. Private to "Freier": -.
"Fieber" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "Freier" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Fieber" and "Freier" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Fieber" or "Freier" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "Fieber" and "Freier" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Fieber" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Freier" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,980,718 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Fieber" and "Freier" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Färber vs Fieber". 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 #1,980,718 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.