ReigenvsReihenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#34,331
“Reigen” frequency rank
#3,843
“Reihen” frequency rank
38174
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Reigen Reihen
Definition alter Rundtanz, bei dem eine größere Anzahl von Tänzern einem Vortänzer in schreitender oder hüpfender Weise folgt; der Tanz wird von Gesang begleitet veraltete Form für Reigen, also ein Tanzlied

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Reigen
6 ch
Reihen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Reigen ([ˈʁaɪ̯ɡn̩]) and Reihen ([ˈʁaɪ̯ən]) 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 - g in “Reigen” becomes h in “Reihen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38174, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Reigen is recorded at frequency rank #34,331, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯ɡn̩]. Reihen is at rank #3,843, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯ən].

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 38174, this pair ranks #1,570,940 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Reigen vs Reihen

Shared letters: einr. Private to "Reigen": g. Private to "Reihen": h.

"Reigen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "Reihen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Reigenerigen · reiegn · reigenn · reiggen · riegen · rreigen
  • Reihenerihen · rehien · reiehn · reihenn · reihhen · reihne · riehen · rreihen

Frequency comparison

Reigen#34,331
Reihen#3,843

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Reigen" and "Reihen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʁaɪ̯ɡn̩] versus [ˈʁaɪ̯ən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Reigen" or "Reihen"?
"Reihen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,843 in our German list, against #34,331 for "Reigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Reigen vs Reihen

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 “Reigen” 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