Which to use
“gemein” is an adjective and “geweint” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,262
- “gemein” frequency rank
- #12,502
- “geweint” frequency rank
- 17764
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gemein | geweint |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Eigenschaft habend, die mehreren gemeinsam ist | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs weinen |
Where the eye mixes gemein and geweint
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses gemein with geweint
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gemein is [ɡəˈmaɪ̯n] while geweint is [ɡəˈvaɪ̯nt]. 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 17764, 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]. geweint is at rank #12,502, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈvaɪ̯nt].
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 17764, this pair ranks #1,924,506 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gemein vs geweint
Shared letters: egin. Private to "gemein": m. Private to "geweint": tw.
"gemein" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "geweint" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "gemein" for "geweint" ever safe?
Frequency check: "gemein" vs "geweint" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "gemein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "geweint" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,924,506 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gemein" and "geweint" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gedehnt vs geweint". 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 #1,924,506 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.