Which to use
“Altar” and “Ämter” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,164
- “Altar” frequency rank
- #9,489
- “Ämter” frequency rank
- 17653
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Altar | Ämter |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | tischähnliche Einrichtung (zum Beispiel in einer Kirche) zur Feier eines Gottesdienstes, zur kultischen Verehrung oder für das Abhalten von Ritualen | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Amt |
Where the eye mixes Altar and Ämter
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Altar vs Ämter
A purely visual mix-up. Altar ([alˈtaːɐ̯]) and Ämter ([ˈɛmtɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17653, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Altar is recorded at frequency rank #8,164, classified as anoun, pronounced [alˈtaːɐ̯]. Ämter is at rank #9,489, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛmtɐ].
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 17653, this pair ranks #1,925,484 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Altar vs Ämter
Shared letters: rt. Private to "Altar": al. Private to "Ämter": emä.
"Altar" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "Ämter" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Altar ← alatr · alltar · altarr · altra · alttar · atlar · latar
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Altar" and "Ämter" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Altar" or "Ämter"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Altar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Ämter" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,925,484 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Altar" and "Ämter" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Ämter vs Auster". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,925,484 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.