MoslemvsMuslimWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,991
“Moslem” frequency rank
#12,974
“Muslim” frequency rank
31965
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Moslem Muslim
Definition Anhänger des islamischen Glaubens Anhänger der islamischen Religion

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Moslem
6 ch
Muslim

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Moslem ([ˈmɔslɛm]) and Muslim ([ˈmʊslɪm]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31965, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Moslem is recorded at frequency rank #18,991, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɔslɛm]. Muslim is at rank #12,974, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmʊslɪm].

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 31965, this pair ranks #1,717,527 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Moslem vs Muslim

Shared letters: lms. Private to "Moslem": eo. Private to "Muslim": iu.

"Moslem" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Muslim" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Moslemmmoslem · molsem · moselm · moslemm · mosllem · moslme · mosslem · msolem
  • Muslimmmuslim · msulim · mulsim · musilm · muslimm · musllim · muslmi · musslim

Frequency comparison

Moslem#18,991
Muslim#12,974

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Moslem" and "Muslim" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmɔslɛm] versus [ˈmʊslɪm]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Moslem" or "Muslim"?
"Muslim" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,974 in our German list, against #18,991 for "Moslem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Moslem vs Muslim

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 “Moslem” 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