sähevssamaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: sähe is a verb, sama is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“sähe” is a verb and “sama” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#13,704
“sähe” frequency rank
#45,559
“sama” frequency rank
59263
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sähe sama
Definition 1. Person Singular Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs sehen Elefant

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sähe and sama apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
sähe
4 ch
sama

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

sähe and sama form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59263, 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]. sama is at rank #45,559, tagged as anoun, pronounced [sàmá].

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 59263, this pair ranks #831,097 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

sähe#13,704
sama#45,559

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sähe" and "sama" be used interchangeably?
No, "sähe" and "sama" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering sähe vs sama

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “sähe”; for a noun, it's “sama”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sähe” 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