Which to use
“öde” is an adjective and “ox” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,776
- “öde” frequency rank
- #44,121
- “ox” frequency rank
- 62897
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öde | ox |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nur wenig oder gar nicht bewohnt, besiedelt | der Ochse |
Where the eye mixes öde and ox
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. No shared run - shape, not overlap, is the trap.
Why the eye confuses öde with ox
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: öde is [ˈøːdə] while ox is [ɒks]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62897, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öde is recorded at frequency rank #18,776, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈøːdə]. ox is at rank #44,121, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɒks].
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 62897, this pair ranks #696,176 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of öde vs ox
Shared letters: none. Private to "öde": deö. Private to "ox": ox.
"öde" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ox" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "öde" and "ox" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "öde" or "ox"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "öde" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ox" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #696,176 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "öde" and "ox" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "OGH vs ox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #696,176 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.