Which to use
“je” is an adverb and “jed” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #352
- “je” frequency rank
- #44,721
- “jed” frequency rank
- 45073
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | je | jed |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu irgendeiner Zeit, jemals | gesundheitsschädliche oder potenziell tödliche Substanz; Gift |
Where the eye mixes je and jed
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: je vs jed
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: je is [jeː] while jed is [jɛt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “je” sits inside “jed”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45073, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
je is recorded at frequency rank #352, classified as anadv, pronounced [jeː]. jed is at rank #44,721, tagged as anoun, pronounced [jɛt].
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 45073, this pair ranks #1,365,404 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of je vs jed
Shared letters: ej. Private to "je": -. Private to "jed": d.
"je" · 2 letters · shape CV · "jed" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "je" for "jed" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "je" or "jed" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "je" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "jed" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,365,404 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "je" and "jed" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "jed vs jn". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,365,404 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.