sechsvsSechserWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: sechs is a num, Sechser is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“sechs” is a num and “Sechser” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#650
“sechs” frequency rank
#41,458
“Sechser” frequency rank
42108
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sechs Sechser
Definition sechs, die Zahl zwischen fünf und sieben Kombination aus sechs richtigen Gewinnzahlen im Lotto

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
sechs
7 ch
Sechser

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sechs is [zɛks] while Sechser is [ˈzɛksɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “sechs” sits inside “Sechser”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42108, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sechs is recorded at frequency rank #650, classified as anum, pronounced [zɛks]. Sechser is at rank #41,458, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzɛksɐ].

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 42108, this pair ranks #1,459,315 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sechs vs Sechser

Shared letters: cehs. Private to "sechs": -. Private to "Sechser": r.

"sechs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Sechser" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sechseschs · scehs · secchs · sechhs · sechss · secsh · sehcs · ssechs
  • Sechsereschser · scehser · secchser · sechesr · sechhser · sechserr · sechsre · sechsser

Frequency comparison

sechs#650
Sechser#41,458

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sechs" and "Sechser" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "sechs" is a num and "Sechser" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "sechs" or "Sechser"?
"sechs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #650 in our German list, against #41,458 for "Sechser". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering sechs vs Sechser

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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