Which to use
“neu” and “new” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #385
- “neu” frequency rank
- #688
- “new” frequency rank
- 1073
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | neu | new |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | vor kurzer Zeit gemacht oder geschehen | neu |
Where the eye mixes neu and new
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses neu with new
A purely visual mix-up. neu ([nɔɪ̯]) and new ([njuː]) 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 a single letter - u in “neu” becomes w in “new”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1073, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
neu is recorded at frequency rank #385, classified as anadj, pronounced [nɔɪ̯]. new is at rank #688, tagged as anadj, pronounced [njuː].
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 1073, this pair ranks #2,004,950 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of neu vs new
Shared letters: en. Private to "neu": u. Private to "new": w.
"neu" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "new" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "neu" and "new" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "neu" or "new"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "neu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "new" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,004,950 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "neu" and "new" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "new vs nox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,004,950 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.