Which to use
“tann” is a pronoun and “tun” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #44,964
- “tann” frequency rank
- #245
- “tun” frequency rank
- 45209
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tann | tun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | der, die, das; dieser, diese, dieses | eine Handlung ausführen |
Where the eye mixes tann and tun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between tann and tun
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tann is [tanː] while tun is [tuːn]. 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 (pronoun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45209, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tann is recorded at frequency rank #44,964, classified as apron, pronounced [tanː]. tun is at rank #245, tagged as averb, pronounced [tuːn].
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 45209, this pair ranks #1,360,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tann vs tun
Shared letters: nt. Private to "tann": a. Private to "tun": u.
"tann" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "tun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- tann ← atnn · tnan · ttann
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tann" and "tun" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "tann" vs "tun" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tann" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,360,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tann" and "tun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tann vs tine". 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 #1,360,811 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.