Which to use
“wann” and “when” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #592
- “wann” frequency rank
- #8,658
- “when” frequency rank
- 9250
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wann | when |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu welchem Zeitpunkt | wann |
Where the eye mixes wann and when
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. wann (CVCC) and when (CCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: wann vs when
A purely visual mix-up. wann ([van]) and when ([wɛn]) 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 9250, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wann is recorded at frequency rank #592, classified as anadv, pronounced [van]. when is at rank #8,658, tagged as anadv, pronounced [wɛn].
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 9250, this pair ranks #1,980,791 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wann vs when
Shared letters: nw. Private to "wann": a. Private to "when": eh.
"wann" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "when" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "wann" and "when" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "wann" vs "when" - 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 "wann" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "when" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,980,791 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wann" and "when" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "went vs when". 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 #1,980,791 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.