Which to use
“Ampel” and “Amtes” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,435
- “Ampel” frequency rank
- #8,821
- “Amtes” frequency rank
- 16256
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Ampel | Amtes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (kleinere, schalenförmige) von der Decke hängende Lampe | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Amt |
Where the eye mixes Ampel and Amtes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Ampel with Amtes
A purely visual mix-up. Ampel ([ˈampl̩]) and Amtes ([ˈamtəs]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16256, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Ampel is recorded at frequency rank #7,435, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈampl̩]. Amtes is at rank #8,821, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈamtəs].
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 16256, this pair ranks #1,937,335 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Ampel vs Amtes
Shared letters: aem. Private to "Ampel": lp. Private to "Amtes": st.
"Ampel" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "Amtes" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Ampel" for "Amtes" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Ampel" or "Amtes" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Ampel" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Amtes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,937,335 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Ampel" and "Amtes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ages vs Amtes". 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 #1,937,335 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.