Which to use
“wachse” and “wächst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,127
- “wachse” frequency rank
- #2,751
- “wächst” frequency rank
- 41878
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wachse | wächst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wachsen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wachsen |
Where the eye mixes wachse and wächst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. wachse (CVCCCV) and wächst (CVCCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses wachse with wächst
A purely visual mix-up. wachse ([ˈvaksə]) and wächst ([vɛkst]) 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 41878, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wachse is recorded at frequency rank #39,127, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvaksə]. wächst is at rank #2,751, tagged as averb, pronounced [vɛkst].
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 41878, this pair ranks #1,466,338 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of wachse vs wächst
Shared letters: chsw. Private to "wachse": ae. Private to "wächst": tä.
"wachse" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "wächst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- wachse ← awchse · wacchse · waches · wachhse · wachsse · wacshe · wahcse · wcahse
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wachse" and "wächst" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "wachse" vs "wächst" - 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 "wachse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wächst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,466,338 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wachse" and "wächst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Wachau vs wachse". 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 #1,466,338 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.