Which to use
“rächen” and “rauen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,734
- “rächen” frequency rank
- #27,017
- “rauen” frequency rank
- 42751
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rächen | rauen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem für eine als Unrecht empfundene Tat eines anderen Genugtuung verschaffen, indem man diesem ebenfalls einen Nachteil zufügt | eine (glatte) Oberfläche rau machen |
Where the eye mixes rächen and rauen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between rächen and rauen
A purely visual mix-up. rächen ([ˈʁɛçn̩]) and rauen ([ˈʁaʊ̯ən]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42751, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rächen is recorded at frequency rank #15,734, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʁɛçn̩]. rauen is at rank #27,017, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʁaʊ̯ən].
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 42751, this pair ranks #1,439,625 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of rächen vs rauen
Shared letters: enr. Private to "rächen": chä. Private to "rauen": au.
"rächen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "rauen" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- rauen ← aruen · raeun · rauenn · raune · rrauen · ruaen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rächen" and "rauen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "rächen" or "rauen"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "rächen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "rauen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,439,625 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "rächen" and "rauen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rauen vs raunen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,439,625 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.