Which to use
“wem” and “wer” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,002
- “wem” frequency rank
- #133
- “wer” frequency rank
- 2135
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wem | wer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dativ von wer | fragt nach einer Person oder mehreren Personen |
Where the eye mixes wem and wer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses wem with wer
A purely visual mix-up. wem ([veːm]) and wer ([veːɐ̯]) 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 r in “wer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2135, 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]. wer is at rank #133, tagged as apron, pronounced [veːɐ̯].
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 2135, this pair ranks #2,003,022 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wem vs wer
Shared letters: ew. Private to "wem": m. Private to "wer": r.
"wem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "wer" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wem" and "wer" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "wem" vs "wer" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
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 "wer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,003,022 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wem" and "wer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wem vs went". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,003,022 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.