Which to use
“gemein” and “germain” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,262
- “gemein” frequency rank
- #21,621
- “germain” frequency rank
- 26883
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gemein | germain |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Eigenschaft habend, die mehreren gemeinsam ist | Geschwister vom selben Vater und derselben Mutter |
Where the eye mixes gemein and germain
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between gemein and germain
A purely visual mix-up. gemein ([ɡəˈmaɪ̯n]) and germain ([ʒɛʀmɛ͂]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26883, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gemein is recorded at frequency rank #5,262, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈmaɪ̯n]. germain is at rank #21,621, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ʒɛʀmɛ͂].
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 26883, this pair ranks #1,810,851 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gemein vs germain
Shared letters: egimn. Private to "gemein": -. Private to "germain": ar.
"gemein" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "germain" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gemein" and "germain" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gemein" or "germain"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "gemein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "germain" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,810,851 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gemein" and "germain" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gemein vs Geweih". 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 #1,810,851 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.