GänsevsGasseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Gänse” and “Gasse” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#25,160
“Gänse” frequency rank
#12,079
“Gasse” frequency rank
37239
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gänse Gasse
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Gans enge Straße, schmaler Weg zwischen Zäunen oder Mauern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Gänse and Gasse apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Gänse
5 ch
Gasse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Gänse ([ˈɡɛnzə]) and Gasse ([ˈɡasə]) 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 37239, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gänse is recorded at frequency rank #25,160, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡɛnzə]. Gasse is at rank #12,079, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡasə].

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 37239, this pair ranks #1,595,328 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Gänse vs Gasse

Shared letters: egs. Private to "Gänse": . Private to "Gasse": a.

"Gänse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Gasse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gasseagsse · gaße · ggasse · gsase

Frequency comparison

Gänse#25,160
Gasse#12,079

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gänse" and "Gasse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡɛnzə] versus [ˈɡasə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Gänse" or "Gasse"?
"Gasse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,079 in our German list, against #25,160 for "Gänse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Gänse vs Gasse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Gänse” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list