Which to use
“rau” is an adjective and “red” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,465
- “rau” frequency rank
- #1,935
- “red” frequency rank
- 15400
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rau | red |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht glatt, mit unebener, unbearbeiteter Oberfläche, Beschaffenheit | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs reden |
Where the eye mixes rau and red
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: rau is [ʁaʊ̯] while red is [ʁeːt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15400, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rau is recorded at frequency rank #13,465, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʁaʊ̯]. red is at rank #1,935, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʁeːt].
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 15400, this pair ranks #1,944,141 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of rau vs red
Shared letters: r. Private to "rau": au. Private to "red": de.
"rau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "red" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rau" and "red" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "rau" or "red"?
What to do next
You've compared "rau" and "red". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "rau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "red" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,944,141 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "rau" and "red" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rau vs RUB". Nearby pair
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.