reichenvsreimenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,568
“reichen” frequency rank
#34,881
“reimen” frequency rank
36449
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature reichen reimen
Definition jemandem etwas geben Reime bilden

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set reichen and reimen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
reichen
6 ch
reimen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. reichen ([ˈʁaɪ̯çn̩]) and reimen ([ˈʁaɪ̯mən]) 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 36449, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

reichen is recorded at frequency rank #1,568, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯çn̩]. reimen is at rank #34,881, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯mən].

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 36449, this pair ranks #1,615,347 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of reichen vs reimen

Shared letters: einr. Private to "reichen": ch. Private to "reimen": m.

"reichen" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC  ·  "reimen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • reichenerichen · recihen · reicchen · reicehn · reichenn · reichhen · reichne · reihcen
  • reimenerimen · reiemn · reimenn · reimmen · reimne · remien · rreimen

Frequency comparison

reichen#1,568
reimen#34,881

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "reichen" and "reimen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʁaɪ̯çn̩] versus [ˈʁaɪ̯mən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "reichen" or "reimen"?
"reichen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,568 in our German list, against #34,881 for "reimen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering reichen vs reimen

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 “reichen” 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