tunvstutWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#245
“tun” frequency rank
#560
“tut” frequency rank
805
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tun tut
Definition eine Handlung ausführen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tun

Where the eye mixes tun and tut

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

3 ch
tun
3 ch
tut

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. tun ([tuːn]) and tut ([tuːt]) 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 - n in “tun” becomes t in “tut”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tun is recorded at frequency rank #245, classified as averb, pronounced [tuːn]. tut is at rank #560, tagged as averb, pronounced [tuːt].

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 805, this pair ranks #2,005,316 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of tun vs tut

Shared letters: tu. Private to "tun": n. Private to "tut": -.

"tun" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "tut" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "tun" and "tut" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([tuːn] versus [tuːt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "tun" or "tut"?
"tun" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #245 in our German list, against #560 for "tut". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list