WunschvsWünscheWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,579
“Wunsch” frequency rank
#1,440
“Wünsche” frequency rank
3019
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Wunsch Wünsche
Definition das Ersehnen von etwas Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Wunsch

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Wunsch
7 ch
Wünsche

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Wunsch ([vʊnʃ]) and Wünsche ([ˈvʏnʃə]) 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 3019, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Wunsch is recorded at frequency rank #1,579, classified as anoun, pronounced [vʊnʃ]. Wünsche is at rank #1,440, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈvʏnʃə].

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 3019, this pair ranks #2,001,125 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Wunsch vs Wünsche

Shared letters: chnsw. Private to "Wunsch": u. Private to "Wünsche": .

"Wunsch" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "Wünsche" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Wunschuwnsch · wnusch · wuncsh · wunnsch · wunscch · wunschh · wunshc · wunssch

Frequency comparison

Wunsch#1,579
Wünsche#1,440

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Wunsch" and "Wünsche" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([vʊnʃ] versus [ˈvʏnʃə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Wunsch" or "Wünsche"?
"Wünsche" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,440 in our German list, against #1,579 for "Wunsch". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Wunsch vs Wünsche

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 “Wunsch” 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