rächtvsrichtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,761
“rächt” frequency rank
#37,164
“richt” frequency rank
66925
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature rächt richt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs rächen 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs richten

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
rächt
5 ch
richt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. rächt ([ʁɛçt]) and richt ([ʁɪçt]) 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 - ä in “rächt” becomes i in “richt”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 66925, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

rächt is recorded at frequency rank #29,761, classified as averb, pronounced [ʁɛçt]. richt is at rank #37,164, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʁɪçt].

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 66925, this pair ranks #557,028 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of rächt vs richt

Shared letters: chrt. Private to "rächt": ä. Private to "richt": i.

"rächt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "richt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • richtircht · rciht · riccht · richht · richtt · ricth · rihct · rricht

Frequency comparison

rächt#29,761
richt#37,164

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "rächt" and "richt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʁɛçt] versus [ʁɪçt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "rächt" or "richt"?
"rächt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,761 in our German list, against #37,164 for "richt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering rächt vs richt

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 “rächt” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list