Which to use
“was” and “wem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44
- “was” frequency rank
- #2,002
- “wem” frequency rank
- 2046
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | was | wem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sächliches Fragewort | Dativ von wer |
Where the eye mixes was and wem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: was vs wem
A purely visual mix-up. was ([vas]) and wem ([veːm]) 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 2046, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
was is recorded at frequency rank #44, classified as apron, pronounced [vas]. wem is at rank #2,002, tagged as apron, pronounced [veːm].
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 2046, this pair ranks #2,003,222 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of was vs wem
Shared letters: w. Private to "was": as. Private to "wem": em.
"was" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "wem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "was" for "wem" ever safe?
Frequency check: "was" vs "wem" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "was" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,003,222 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "was" and "wem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wem vs went". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,003,222 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.