Which to use
“steif” is an adjective and “steig” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,946
- “steif” frequency rank
- #17,420
- “steig” frequency rank
- 31366
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | steif | steig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | unbiegsam, fest, starr | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs steigen |
Where the eye mixes steif and steig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses steif with steig
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: steif is [ʃtaɪ̯f] while steig is [ʃtaɪ̯k]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - f in “steif” becomes g in “steig”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31366, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
steif is recorded at frequency rank #13,946, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʃtaɪ̯f]. steig is at rank #17,420, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃtaɪ̯k].
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 31366, this pair ranks #1,729,567 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of steif vs steig
Shared letters: eist. Private to "steif": f. Private to "steig": g.
"steif" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC · "steig" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "steif" and "steig" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "steif" vs "steig" - which ranks higher?
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 "steif" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "steig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,729,567 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "steif" and "steig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "seg vs steig". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,729,567 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.