Which to use
“Iren” is a noun and “irre” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,291
- “Iren” frequency rank
- #4,524
- “irre” frequency rank
- 22815
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Iren | irre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Kohlenwasserstoff mit der Summenformel C₁₃H₁₈, von Iron abgeleitet | an einer Störung oder Fehlleistung des Geistes- und Seelenlebens (= Geisteskrankheit) leidend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Iren and irre apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: Iren is [ɪˈʁeːn] while irre is [ˈɪʁə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22815, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Iren is recorded at frequency rank #18,291, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɪˈʁeːn]. irre is at rank #4,524, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɪʁə].
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 22815, this pair ranks #1,869,394 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Iren vs irre
Shared letters: eir. Private to "Iren": n. Private to "irre": -.
"Iren" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "irre" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Iren" and "irre" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Iren" or "irre"?
Remembering Iren vs irre
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Iren”; for an adjective, it's “irre”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Iren” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable