Which to use
“leer” and “leerem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,116
- “leer” frequency rank
- #44,043
- “leerem” frequency rank
- 46159
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leer | leerem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (fast) ohne (physischen) Inhalt | Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs leer |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leer and leerem apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. leer ([leːɐ̯]) and leerem ([ˈleːʁəm]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “leer” sits inside “leerem”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46159, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leer is recorded at frequency rank #2,116, classified as anadj, pronounced [leːɐ̯]. leerem is at rank #44,043, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈleːʁəm].
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 46159, this pair ranks #1,328,579 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of leer vs leerem
Shared letters: elr. Private to "leer": -. Private to "leerem": m.
"leer" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "leerem" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leer" and "leerem" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leer" or "leerem"?
Remembering leer vs leerem
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 “leer” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable