Which to use
“wem” and “wen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,002
- “wem” frequency rank
- #1,529
- “wen” frequency rank
- 3531
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wem | wen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dativ von wer | Akkusativ von wer |
Where the eye mixes wem and wen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between wem and wen
A purely visual mix-up. wem ([veːm]) and wen ([veːn]) 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 a single letter - m in “wem” becomes n in “wen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3531, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wem is recorded at frequency rank #2,002, classified as apron, pronounced [veːm]. wen is at rank #1,529, tagged as apron, pronounced [veːn].
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 3531, this pair ranks #2,000,000 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wem vs wen
Shared letters: ew. Private to "wem": m. Private to "wen": n.
"wem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "wen" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "wem" for "wen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "wem" vs "wen" - 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 "wem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,000,000 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wem" and "wen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wem vs went". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,000,000 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.