Which to use
“tue” and “tun” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,659
- “tue” frequency rank
- #245
- “tun” frequency rank
- 4904
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tue | tun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tun | eine Handlung ausführen |
Where the eye mixes tue and tun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses tue with tun
A purely visual mix-up. tue ([ˈtuːə]) and tun ([tuːn]) 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 a single letter - e in “tue” becomes n in “tun”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4904, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tue is recorded at frequency rank #4,659, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtuːə]. 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 4904, this pair ranks #1,996,325 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tue vs tun
Shared letters: tu. Private to "tue": e. Private to "tun": n.
"tue" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "tun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tue" and "tun" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tue" or "tun"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tue" 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 #1,996,325 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tue" and "tun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tine vs tue". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,996,325 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.