Which to use
“chai” and “Clan” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,430
- “chai” frequency rank
- #9,695
- “Clan” frequency rank
- 47125
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chai | Clan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Gefäß für Flüssigkeiten oder Ähnliches; Flasche | (schottischer/irischer) Stammes-/Volksverband |
Where the eye mixes chai and Clan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses chai with Clan
A purely visual mix-up. chai ([t͡ɕaːj˧˧]) and Clan ([klaːn]) 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 47125, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chai is recorded at frequency rank #37,430, classified as anoun, pronounced [t͡ɕaːj˧˧]. Clan is at rank #9,695, tagged as anoun, pronounced [klaːn].
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 47125, this pair ranks #1,295,342 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of chai vs Clan
Shared letters: ac. Private to "chai": hi. Private to "Clan": ln.
"chai" · 4 letters · shape CCVV · "Clan" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "chai" for "Clan" ever safe?
Which is more common, "chai" or "Clan"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "chai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Clan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,295,342 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "chai" and "Clan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "chai vs clair". 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 #1,295,342 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.