Which to use
“wer” and “wir” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #133
- “wer” frequency rank
- #37
- “wir” frequency rank
- 170
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wer | wir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fragt nach einer Person oder mehreren Personen | 1. Person Plural; mehrere Personen, die sprechende eingeschlossen |
Where the eye mixes wer and wir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between wer and wir
A purely visual mix-up. wer ([veːɐ̯]) and wir ([viːɐ̯]) 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 - e in “wer” becomes i in “wir”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 170, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wer is recorded at frequency rank #133, classified as apron, pronounced [veːɐ̯]. wir is at rank #37, tagged as apron, pronounced [viːɐ̯].
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 170, this pair ranks #2,006,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wer vs wir
Shared letters: rw. Private to "wer": e. Private to "wir": i.
"wer" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "wir" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "wer" for "wir" ever safe?
Which is more common, "wer" or "wir"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "wer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,006,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wer" and "wir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "went vs wer". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,006,198 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.