Which to use
“jäh” is an adjective and “jährt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,457
- “jäh” frequency rank
- #46,060
- “jährt” frequency rank
- 85517
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | jäh | jährt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | unerwartet, abrupt und heftig sich entwickelnd | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs jähren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set jäh and jährt 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: jäh is [jɛː] while jährt is [jɛːɐ̯t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “jäh” sits inside “jährt”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 85517, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
jäh is recorded at frequency rank #39,457, classified as anadj, pronounced [jɛː]. jährt is at rank #46,060, tagged as averb, pronounced [jɛːɐ̯t].
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 85517, this pair ranks #107,093 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of jäh vs jährt
Shared letters: hjä. Private to "jäh": -. Private to "jährt": rt.
"jäh" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "jährt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "jäh" and "jährt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "jäh" or "jährt"?
Remembering jäh vs jährt
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “jäh”; for a verb, it's “jährt”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “jäh” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable