apexvsApfelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“apex” and “Apfel” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#36,183
“apex” frequency rank
#6,628
“Apfel” frequency rank
42811
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature apex Apfel
Definition die Kegelspitze rundliche Frucht des Apfelbaums mit Schale, Fruchtfleisch und Kerngehäuse

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set apex and Apfel apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
apex
5 ch
Apfel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. apex ([a.peks]) and Apfel ([ˈap͡fl̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42811, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

apex is recorded at frequency rank #36,183, classified as anoun, pronounced [a.peks]. Apfel is at rank #6,628, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈap͡fl̩].

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 42811, this pair ranks #1,437,739 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of apex vs Apfel

Shared letters: aep. Private to "apex": x. Private to "Apfel": fl.

"apex" · 4 letters · shape VCVC  ·  "Apfel" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • apexaepx · apexx · appex · apxe · paex
  • Apfelafpel · apefl · apfell · apffel · apfle · appfel · pafel

Frequency comparison

apex#36,183
Apfel#6,628

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "apex" and "Apfel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([a.peks] versus [ˈap͡fl̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "apex" or "Apfel"?
"Apfel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,628 in our German list, against #36,183 for "apex". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering apex vs Apfel

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “apex” 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