StichvsStichenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Stich” and “Stichen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,726
“Stich” frequency rank
#43,512
“Stichen” frequency rank
50238
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Stich Stichen
Definition das Eindringen eines spitzen Gegenstandes in einen Körper Dativ Plural des Substantivs Stich

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Stich
7 ch
Stichen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Stich ([ʃtɪç]) and Stichen ([ˈʃtɪçn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Stich” sits inside “Stichen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Stich is recorded at frequency rank #6,726, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃtɪç]. Stichen is at rank #43,512, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtɪçn̩].

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 50238, this pair ranks #1,181,300 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Stich vs Stichen

Shared letters: chist. Private to "Stich": -. Private to "Stichen": en.

"Stich" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "Stichen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Stichsitch · sstich · stcih · sticch · stichh · stihc · sttich
  • Stichensitchen · sstichen · stcihen · sticchen · sticehn · stichenn · stichhen · stichne

Frequency comparison

Stich#6,726
Stichen#43,512

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Stich" and "Stichen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃtɪç] versus [ˈʃtɪçn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Stich" or "Stichen"?
"Stich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,726 in our German list, against #43,512 for "Stichen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Stich vs Stichen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Stich” 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