GerüchevsGesuchWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,217
“Gerüche” frequency rank
#26,430
“Gesuch” frequency rank
54647
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gerüche Gesuch
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Geruch Schreiben, das jemand an eine Behörde richtet, um eine Genehmigung oder Bewilligung zu erhalten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Gerüche and Gesuch apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Gerüche
6 ch
Gesuch

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Gerüche ([ɡəˈʁʏçə]) and Gesuch ([ɡəˈzuːx]) 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 54647, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gerüche is recorded at frequency rank #28,217, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʁʏçə]. Gesuch is at rank #26,430, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈzuːx].

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 54647, this pair ranks #1,010,649 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Gerüche vs Gesuch

Shared letters: cegh. Private to "Gerüche": . Private to "Gesuch": su.

"Gerüche" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "Gesuch" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gesuchegsuch · gescuh · gessuch · gesucch · gesuchh · gesuhc · geusch · ggesuch

Frequency comparison

Gerüche#28,217
Gesuch#26,430

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gerüche" and "Gesuch" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈʁʏçə] versus [ɡəˈzuːx]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Gerüche" or "Gesuch"?
"Gesuch" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,430 in our German list, against #28,217 for "Gerüche". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Gerüche vs Gesuch

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 “Gerüche” 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