Which to use
“vier” is a num and “Vlies” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #328
- “vier” frequency rank
- #39,119
- “Vlies” frequency rank
- 39447
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vier | Vlies |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die Kardinalzahl zwischen drei und fünf | Schafsfell |
Where the eye mixes vier and Vlies
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. vier runs 4 letters (CVVC) against Vlies's 5 (CCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses vier with Vlies
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vier is [fiːɐ̯] while Vlies is [fliːs]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vier is recorded at frequency rank #328, classified as anum, pronounced [fiːɐ̯]. Vlies is at rank #39,119, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fliːs].
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 39447, this pair ranks #1,536,525 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vier vs Vlies
Shared letters: eiv. Private to "vier": r. Private to "Vlies": ls.
"vier" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Vlies" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vier" and "Vlies" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "vier" vs "Vlies" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "vier" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vlies" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,536,525 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vier" and "Vlies" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vlies vs voices". 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 #1,536,525 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.