Which to use
“Geräusch” and “Geruch” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,065
- “Geräusch” frequency rank
- #5,369
- “Geruch” frequency rank
- 13434
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Geräusch | Geruch |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | akustisch wahrnehmbarer, unspezifischer Vorgang; hörbares Ereignis | durch das Geruchsorgan wahrgenommene Ausdünstung; subjektive Sinneswahrnehmung |
Where the eye mixes Geräusch and Geruch
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Geräusch runs 8 letters (CVCVVCCC) against Geruch's 6 (CVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Geräusch vs Geruch
A purely visual mix-up. Geräusch ([ɡəˈʁɔɪ̯ʃ]) and Geruch ([ɡəˈʁʊx]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13434, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Geräusch is recorded at frequency rank #8,065, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʁɔɪ̯ʃ]. Geruch is at rank #5,369, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʁʊx].
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 13434, this pair ranks #1,958,023 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Geräusch vs Geruch
Shared letters: ceghru. Private to "Geräusch": sä. Private to "Geruch": -.
"Geräusch" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCC · "Geruch" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Geruch ← egruch · gercuh · gerruch · gerucch · geruchh · geruhc · geurch · ggeruch
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Geräusch" for "Geruch" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Geräusch" vs "Geruch" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Geräusch" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Geruch" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,958,023 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Geräusch" and "Geruch" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Geruch vs gerügt". 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 #1,958,023 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.