Which to use
“riechen” and “riechst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,254
- “riechen” frequency rank
- #42,767
- “riechst” frequency rank
- 52021
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | riechen | riechst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | den Geruch von etwas mit der Nase wahrnehmen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs riechen |
Where the eye mixes riechen and riechst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. riechen (CVVCCVC) and riechst (CVVCCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between riechen and riechst
A purely visual mix-up. riechen ([ˈʁiːçn̩]) and riechst ([ʁiːçst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52021, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
riechen is recorded at frequency rank #9,254, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʁiːçn̩]. riechst is at rank #42,767, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʁiːçst].
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 52021, this pair ranks #1,112,977 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of riechen vs riechst
Shared letters: cehir. Private to "riechen": n. Private to "riechst": st.
"riechen" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "riechst" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "riechen" for "riechst" ever safe?
Frequency check: "riechen" vs "riechst" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "riechen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "riechst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,112,977 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "riechen" and "riechst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rauchst vs riechst". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,112,977 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.