GrauenvsGrausWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,196
“Grauen” frequency rank
#43,228
“Graus” frequency rank
49424
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Grauen Graus
Definition Gefühl der Furcht, des Entsetzens aufgrund von etwas Bedrohlichem etwas entsetzlich Fürchterliches

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Grauen
5 ch
Graus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Grauen ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯ən]) and Graus ([ɡʁaʊ̯s]) 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 49424, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Grauen is recorded at frequency rank #6,196, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡʁaʊ̯ən]. 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 49424, this pair ranks #1,212,040 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Grauen vs Graus

Shared letters: agru. Private to "Grauen": en. Private to "Graus": s.

"Grauen" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC  ·  "Graus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Grauengaruen · ggrauen · graeun · grauenn · graune · grrauen · gruaen · rgauen
  • Grausgarus · ggraus · grasu · grauss · grraus · gruas · rgaus

Frequency comparison

Grauen#6,196
Graus#43,228

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Grauen" and "Graus" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʁaʊ̯ən] versus [ɡʁaʊ̯s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Grauen" or "Graus"?
"Grauen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,196 in our German list, against #43,228 for "Graus". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Grauen vs Graus

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 “Grauen” 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