SachenvsSeuchenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#709
“Sachen” frequency rank
#35,445
“Seuchen” frequency rank
36154
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Sachen Seuchen
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Sache Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Seuche

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Sachen
7 ch
Seuchen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Sachen ([ˈzaxn̩]) and Seuchen ([ˈzɔɪ̯çn̩]) 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 36154, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Sachen is recorded at frequency rank #709, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈzaxn̩]. Seuchen is at rank #35,445, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzɔɪ̯çn̩].

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 36154, this pair ranks #1,622,658 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Sachen vs Seuchen

Shared letters: cehns. Private to "Sachen": a. Private to "Seuchen": u.

"Sachen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Seuchen" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Sachenaschen · sacchen · sacehn · sachenn · sachhen · sachne · sahcen · scahen
  • Seuchenesuchen · secuhen · seucchen · seucehn · seuchenn · seuchhen · seuchne · seuhcen

Frequency comparison

Sachen#709
Seuchen#35,445

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Sachen" and "Seuchen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzaxn̩] versus [ˈzɔɪ̯çn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Sachen" or "Seuchen"?
"Sachen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #709 in our German list, against #35,445 for "Seuchen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Sachen vs Seuchen

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 “Sachen” 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