Refers to the act or result of changing something. Very common as a suffix in compounds such as 席替え, 模様替え, and クラス替え.
replacement; substitute; spare; change of clothes
Means an item kept or used in place of another. In phrases like シャツの替え or 靴下の替え, it means a spare change of clothing.
exchange rate; rate of exchange
Only when written 換え
Financial or exchange-related use, usually written 換え. As a standalone modern term it is limited; 為替レート or 交換レート is usually clearer.
I put a spare shirt in my bag.
Next week we will change seats in the classroom.
I rearranged my room over the weekend.
Let's take a spare pair of socks just in case.
Do you have a replacement for this part?
In financial contexts, 換え can refer to the exchange ratio between currencies.
There's no spare part for this.
There's no one who could replace him.
交換 stresses a mutual, explicit act of swapping two things, while 替え is broader and often just means a change or switch.
予備 means a reserve kept in case of need, while 替え specifically refers to a spare that is meant to replace something in use, like a change of clothes.
為替レート is the standard modern term for a currency exchange rate, while 替え in this sense is old-fashioned and rarely used alone today.
替え (same reading) usually means a spare or replacement item (e.g. 替えの靴下), while 変え refers to the abstract act of changing something.
switching; changeover; conversion; replacement
changing clothes; change of clothes
replacement; substitution; swap · shunting; switching
dubbing; voice-over · stand-in; double · recasting; reminting
replacement; substitution · correcting; revision (printing)
Most broadly useful spelling for a change, replacement, spare item, or suffix in compounds such as 着替え and 模様替え.
Used when the nuance is exchange or conversion; this spelling as usual for the exchange-rate sense.
Used when the nuance is substitution or taking the place of something or someone.
Nominal form of verbs read かえる, such as 替える, 換える, and 代える. The different kanji spellings conventionally highlight changing, exchanging, or substituting rather than separate pronunciations.
rebuilding; reconstruction
replacement; substitute; rebuilding; changing
stand-in; substitute; double; ringer · extra noodles; second serving of noodles
rearrangement; recomposition; reclassification; recombination
song parody; new lyrics to an existing melody
replacement; swapping; changing
rearranging; remodeling; renovation
switching (job, loyalty, stance); changing sides · changing quarters (of a geisha, prostitute)
seasonal change of clothing; changing one's dress for the season · renovation; facelift; redesign
refilling; repackaging; rebottling
re-covering; repapering; reupholstering
advancing money; paying on someone's behalf
switch secretly; substitute; replace surreptitiously
transshipment; reshipment
reroofing; rethatching
forced relocation of a daimyo to a different domain · change of constituency; change of district
change of lodgings; moving to a new place to stay
changing nests; moving to a new nest · changing one's place of entertainment; moving to a different pleasure spot
seat change; moving to new seats
change of post; role change
replacement blade; spare blade
alternative name; alias · assumed name in a brothel · stage name