grauemvsgrauesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#39,976
“grauem” frequency rank
#32,066
“graues” frequency rank
72042
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

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

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
grauem
6 ch
graues

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. grauem ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯əm]) and graues ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯əs]) 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 s in “graues”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72042, 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]. graues is at rank #32,066, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʁaʊ̯əs].

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 72042, this pair ranks #399,498 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of grauem vs graues

Shared letters: aegru. Private to "grauem": m. Private to "graues": s.

"grauem" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC  ·  "graues" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • grauemgaruem · ggrauem · graeum · grauemm · graume · grrauem · gruaem · rgauem
  • grauesgarues · ggraues · graeus · grauess · grause · grraues · gruaes · rgaues

Frequency comparison

grauem#39,976
graues#32,066

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "grauem" and "graues" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯əm] versus [ˈɡʁaʊ̯əs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "grauem" or "graues"?
"graues" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #32,066 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 graues

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