Which to use
“grau” is an adjective and “Graus” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,519
- “grau” frequency rank
- #43,228
- “Graus” frequency rank
- 47747
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | grau | Graus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in einer Farbe, die eine Mischung aus schwarz und weiß ist, gehalten | etwas entsetzlich Fürchterliches |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set grau and Graus apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: grau is [ɡʁaʊ̯] while Graus is [ɡʁaʊ̯s]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “grau” sits inside “Graus”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47747, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
grau is recorded at frequency rank #4,519, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡʁaʊ̯]. Graus is at rank #43,228, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡʁaʊ̯s].
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 47747, this pair ranks #1,273,525 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of grau vs Graus
Shared letters: agru. Private to "grau": -. Private to "Graus": s.
"grau" · 4 letters · shape CCVV · "Graus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "grau" and "Graus" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "grau" or "Graus"?
Remembering grau vs Graus
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “grau”; for a noun, it's “Graus”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “grau” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable