alavsataWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: ala is a noun, ata is a pronoun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“ala” is a noun and “ata” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#18,792
“ala” frequency rank
#46,479
“ata” frequency rank
65271
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ala ata
Definition Flügel sie

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ala and ata apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
ala
3 ch
ata

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: ala is anoun and ataapronoun. On the page they differ by a single letter - l in “ala” becomes t in “ata”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65271, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ala is recorded at frequency rank #18,792, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈala]. ata is at rank #46,479, tagged as apron, pronounced […].

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 65271, this pair ranks #612,643 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ala vs ata

Shared letters: a. Private to "ala": l. Private to "ata": t.

"ala" · 3 letters · shape VCV  ·  "ata" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequency comparison

ala#18,792
ata#46,479

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ala" and "ata" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "ala" is a noun and "ata" a pronoun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "ala" or "ata"?
"ala" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,792 in our German list, against #46,479 for "ata". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ala vs ata

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “ala”; for a pronoun, it's “ata”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ala” 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