Which to use
“they” and “this” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,818
- “they” frequency rank
- #2,559
- “this” frequency rank
- 12377
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | they | this |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sie | in der Nähe |
Where the eye mixes they and this
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. they (CCVV) and this (CCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: they vs this
A purely visual mix-up. they ([ðeɪ]) and this ([ðɪs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12377, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
they is recorded at frequency rank #9,818, classified as apron, pronounced [ðeɪ]. this is at rank #2,559, tagged as apron, pronounced [ðɪs].
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 12377, this pair ranks #1,964,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of they vs this
Shared letters: ht. Private to "they": ey. Private to "this": is.
"they" · 4 letters · shape CCVV · "this" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "they" and "this" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "they" vs "this" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "they" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "this" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,964,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "they" and "this" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "they vs thy". 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 #1,964,524 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.