Which to use
“Wäsche” and “Wünsche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,614
- “Wäsche” frequency rank
- #1,440
- “Wünsche” frequency rank
- 8054
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Wäsche | Wünsche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Gesamtheit mehrerer Kleidungs- und Textilstücke, die kürzlich gewaschen wurden oder gewaschen werden sollen | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Wunsch |
Where the eye mixes Wäsche and Wünsche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Wäsche runs 6 letters (CVCCCV) against Wünsche's 7 (CVCCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Wäsche vs Wünsche
A purely visual mix-up. Wäsche ([ˈvɛʃə]) and Wünsche ([ˈvʏnʃə]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8054, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Wäsche is recorded at frequency rank #6,614, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈvɛʃə]. Wünsche is at rank #1,440, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈvʏnʃə].
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 8054, this pair ranks #1,985,806 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Wäsche vs Wünsche
Shared letters: cehsw. Private to "Wäsche": ä. Private to "Wünsche": nü.
"Wäsche" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "Wünsche" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Wäsche" and "Wünsche" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Wäsche" or "Wünsche" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Wäsche" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Wünsche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,985,806 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Wäsche" and "Wünsche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Wäsche vs waste". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,985,806 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.