Which to use
“third” is a num and “this” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,170
- “third” frequency rank
- #2,559
- “this” frequency rank
- 24729
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | third | this |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dritte; dem zweiten folgend und dem vierten vorausgehend | in der Nähe |
Where the eye mixes third and this
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between third and this
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: third is [θɜːd] while this is [ðɪs]. 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 pronoun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24729, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
third is recorded at frequency rank #22,170, classified as anum, pronounced [θɜːd]. 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 24729, this pair ranks #1,843,560 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of third vs this
Shared letters: hit. Private to "third": dr. Private to "this": s.
"third" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "this" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "third" for "this" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "third" or "this" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "third" 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 #1,843,560 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "third" and "this" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "thin vs third". 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 #1,843,560 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.