Which to use
“früh” is an adjective and “fry” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,056
- “früh” frequency rank
- #39,942
- “fry” frequency rank
- 40998
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | früh | fry |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zeitlich am Anfang liegend, zum Beginn | braten |
Where the eye mixes früh and fry
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses früh with fry
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: früh is [fʁyː] while fry is [fɹaɪ]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40998, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
früh is recorded at frequency rank #1,056, classified as anadj, pronounced [fʁyː]. fry is at rank #39,942, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɹaɪ].
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 40998, this pair ranks #1,492,223 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of früh vs fry
Shared letters: fr. Private to "früh": hü. Private to "fry": y.
"früh" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "fry" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "früh" for "fry" ever safe?
Frequency check: "früh" vs "fry" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "früh" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fry" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,492,223 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "früh" and "fry" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "firm vs fry". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,492,223 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.