Which to use
“wäscht” and “wünscht” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,778
- “wäscht” frequency rank
- #3,555
- “wünscht” frequency rank
- 23333
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wäscht | wünscht |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs waschen | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wünschen |
Where the eye mixes wäscht and wünscht
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. wäscht runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against wünscht's 7 (CVCCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: wäscht vs wünscht
A purely visual mix-up. wäscht ([vɛʃt]) and wünscht ([vʏnʃt]) 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 23333, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wäscht is recorded at frequency rank #19,778, classified as averb, pronounced [vɛʃt]. wünscht is at rank #3,555, tagged as averb, pronounced [vʏnʃt].
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 23333, this pair ranks #1,862,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wäscht vs wünscht
Shared letters: chstw. Private to "wäscht": ä. Private to "wünscht": nü.
"wäscht" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "wünscht" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wäscht" and "wünscht" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wäscht" or "wünscht"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "wäscht" and "wünscht" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "wäscht" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wünscht" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,862,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wäscht" and "wünscht" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wäscht vs wash". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,862,631 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.