grauemvsgrauerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#39,976
“grauem” frequency rank
#17,313
“grauer” frequency rank
57289
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature grauem grauer
Definition Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs grau Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs grau

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set grauem and grauer apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
grauem
6 ch
grauer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. grauem ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯əm]) and grauer ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯ɐ]) 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 a single letter - m in “grauem” becomes r in “grauer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57289, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

grauem is recorded at frequency rank #39,976, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʁaʊ̯əm]. grauer is at rank #17,313, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʁaʊ̯ɐ].

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 57289, this pair ranks #907,093 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of grauem vs grauer

Shared letters: aegru. Private to "grauem": m. Private to "grauer": -.

"grauem" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC  ·  "grauer" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • grauemgaruem · ggrauem · graeum · grauemm · graume · grrauem · gruaem · rgauem
  • grauergaruer · ggrauer · graeur · grauerr · graure · grrauer · gruaer · rgauer

Frequency comparison

grauem#39,976
grauer#17,313

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "grauem" and "grauer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯əm] versus [ˈɡʁaʊ̯ɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "grauem" or "grauer"?
"grauer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,313 in our German list, against #39,976 for "grauem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering grauem vs grauer

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 “grauem” 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