Which to use
“alt” is an adjective and “Amt” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #595
- “alt” frequency rank
- #1,279
- “Amt” frequency rank
- 1874
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alt | Amt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | vor langer Zeit gemacht, geschehen oder gewesen | eine mit Würde und Verantwortung verbundene offizielle (staatliche) Stellung |
Where the eye mixes alt and Amt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: alt vs Amt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: alt is [alt] while Amt is [amt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - l in “alt” becomes m in “Amt”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alt is recorded at frequency rank #595, classified as anadj, pronounced [alt]. Amt is at rank #1,279, tagged as anoun, pronounced [amt].
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 1874, this pair ranks #2,003,559 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of alt vs Amt
Shared letters: at. Private to "alt": l. Private to "Amt": m.
"alt" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "Amt" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "alt" and "Amt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "alt" or "Amt"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "alt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Amt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,003,559 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alt" and "Amt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Amt vs AUD". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,003,559 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.