Which to use
“raff” is a verb and “raw” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,412
- “raff” frequency rank
- #18,670
- “raw” frequency rank
- 60082
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | raff | raw |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs raffen | roh, ungekocht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set raff and raw apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: raff is [ʁaf] while raw is [rɔ]. 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 (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60082, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
raff is recorded at frequency rank #41,412, classified as averb, pronounced [ʁaf]. raw is at rank #18,670, tagged as anadj, pronounced [rɔ].
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 60082, this pair ranks #800,311 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of raff vs raw
Shared letters: ar. Private to "raff": f. Private to "raw": w.
"raff" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "raw" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- raff ← arff · rfaf · rraff
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "raff" and "raw" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "raff" or "raw"?
Remembering raff vs raw
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “raff”; for an adjective, it's “raw”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “raff” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable