weichesvsweitesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“weiches” and “weites” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#28,477
“weiches” frequency rank
#28,019
“weites” frequency rank
56496
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature weiches weites
Definition Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs weich Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs weit

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set weiches and weites apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
weiches
6 ch
weites

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. weiches ([ˈvaɪ̯çəs]) and weites ([ˈvaɪ̯təs]) 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 56496, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

weiches is recorded at frequency rank #28,477, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈvaɪ̯çəs]. weites is at rank #28,019, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈvaɪ̯təs].

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 56496, this pair ranks #937,906 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of weiches vs weites

Shared letters: eisw. Private to "weiches": ch. Private to "weites": t.

"weiches" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC  ·  "weites" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • weichesewiches · wecihes · weicches · weicehs · weichess · weichhes · weichse · weihces
  • weitesewites · weiets · weitess · weitse · weittes · weties · wietes · wweites

Frequency comparison

weiches#28,477
weites#28,019

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "weiches" and "weites" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈvaɪ̯çəs] versus [ˈvaɪ̯təs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "weiches" or "weites"?
"weites" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,019 in our German list, against #28,477 for "weiches". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering weiches vs weites

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “weiches” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list