sechsvssensWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#650
“sechs” frequency rank
#42,806
“sens” frequency rank
43456
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sechs sens
Definition sechs, die Zahl zwischen fünf und sieben Bedeutung; Sinn

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sechs and sens apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
sechs
4 ch
sens

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sechs is [zɛks] while sens is [sɑ̃s]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43456, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sechs is recorded at frequency rank #650, classified as anum, pronounced [zɛks]. sens is at rank #42,806, tagged as anoun, pronounced [sɑ̃s].

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 43456, this pair ranks #1,417,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sechs vs sens

Shared letters: es. Private to "sechs": ch. Private to "sens": n.

"sechs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "sens" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sechseschs · scehs · secchs · sechhs · sechss · secsh · sehcs · ssechs
  • sensesns · senns · senss · sesn · snes · ssens

Frequency comparison

sechs#650
sens#42,806

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sechs" and "sens" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "sechs" is a num and "sens" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "sechs" or "sens"?
"sechs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #650 in our German list, against #42,806 for "sens". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering sechs vs sens

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 “sens”.
  • 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