Which to use
“sähe” and “sai” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,704
- “sähe” frequency rank
- #47,708
- “sai” frequency rank
- 61412
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sähe | sai |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs sehen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs sapere |
Where the eye mixes sähe and sai
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. sähe runs 4 letters (CVCV) against sai's 3 (CVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses sähe with sai
A purely visual mix-up. sähe ([ˈzɛːə]) and sai ([ˈsai̯]) 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 61412, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sähe is recorded at frequency rank #13,704, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzɛːə]. sai is at rank #47,708, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈsai̯].
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 61412, this pair ranks #750,769 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sähe vs sai
Shared letters: s. Private to "sähe": ehä. Private to "sai": ai.
"sähe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "sai" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sähe" for "sai" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "sähe" or "sai" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sähe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sai" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #750,769 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sähe" and "sai" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sai vs seg". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #750,769 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.