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 eye mixes Gerüche and Gesuch
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Gerüche runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against Gesuch's 6 (CVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Gerüche with Gesuch
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": rü. Private to "Gesuch": su.
"Gerüche" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "Gesuch" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Gesuch ← egsuch · gescuh · gessuch · gesucch · gesuchh · gesuhc · geusch · ggesuch
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Gerüche" and "Gesuch" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Gerüche" or "Gesuch" show up more?
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 "Gerüche" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Gesuch" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,010,649 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gerüche" and "Gesuch" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gemach vs Gesuch". 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 #1,010,649 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.